Diaphragm dysfunction:

A critical and under-recognized risk during ICU weaning

Professor Alexandre Demoule explains why diaphragm dysfunction is common, why it matters for patient outcomes, and how objective diaphragm monitoring can support safer extubation decisions.

Diaphragm dysfunction has emerged as a major factor influencing weaning success and extubation outcomes in mechanically ventilated ICU patients.

Yet, despite its prevalence and clinical impact, routine diaphragm monitoring remains uncommon in daily ICU practice.

In this expert interview, Professor Alexandre Demoule (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris), shares his clinical and research perspective on diaphragm dysfunction - and the role of objective, scalable monitoring.

Key clinical insights from the interview

Approximately 65% of ICU patients show diaphragm dysfunction at the time of their first spontaneous breathing trial.
Diaphragm dysfunction is associated with weaning failure, prolonged ventilation, longer ICU and hospital stays, and increased mortality.
Current diaphragm monitoring tools are either invasive or time-consuming.
In clinical studies, diaphragm dysfunction measured with DXT was associated with an 8× higher risk of extubation failure.
Automated diaphragm monitoring enables assessment without the need for ultrasound expertise.

Want to explore the clinical evidence behind DXT?

Objective diaphragm monitoring can provide clinicians with actionable insight when it matters most – during weaning and extubation decisions.v

About the Expert

Professor Alexandre Demoule is a professor of intensive care medicine at the Sorbonne University, in Paris.

He is the medical director of the medical intensive care unit, the step-down unit and the weaning centre within the Division of Pneumology and Intensive Care Medicine, La Pitié-Salpêtrière teaching hospital in Paris.

As the previous chair of the European Research Network on Mechanical Ventilation (REVA), he is an internationally recognized expert in mechanical ventilation and diaphragm dysfunction and has served as the principal investigator in multiple clinical studies evaluating DXT.

Professor Alexandre Demoule