Respiratory failure & ventilation
Acquisition of respiratory surface EMG: a systematic literature review of electrode configurations and methodological reporting
Authors' conclusion
This review reveals substantial diversity of diaphragm sEMG setups, reflecting differences in clinical contexts and study populations. The setups for extra-diaphragmatic muscles were more consistent and methodologically grounded.
Study context
- Population
- Studies reporting original respiratory surface electromyography (sEMG) data in adults during spontaneous breathingarticles included
- Participants
- 240 participants
- Outcome
- Respiratory sEMG setups and reporting quality
Methodological detailsMEDLINE ALL, Embase and Web of Science searched on 19 September 2024, Methodology extracted per International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology reporting guidelines
- MEDLINE ALL, Embase and Web of Science searched on 19 September 2024
- Methodology extracted per International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology reporting guidelines
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Diaphragm most studied respiratory muscle
- 61%
- Unique diaphragm setups out of 160 descriptions
- 48
- Diaphragm setups with small inter-electrode distances
- n = 138, 86%
- Large IED setups applied in ICU populations
- n = 8, 36%
- Large IED setups applied in COPD populations
- n = 5, 23%
- Reporting quality low; median recommended items documented out of 10
- 5
Original publication
Acquisition of respiratory surface EMG: a systematic literature review of electrode configurations and methodological reporting. Crit Care. Published 7 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →