Kian Chung Ong

By Kian-Chung Ong

Part of the book: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

By Kian Chung Ong

Part of the book: A Compendium of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

By Kian Chung Ong

In recent years, advancements in surface electromyography (EMG) have facilitated the monitoring and measurement of respiration in clinical medicine. Adapting and developing surface EMG (sEMG) specifically for assessing the muscles of respiration non-invasively, without the use of needles or catheters, heralds a new clinical dimension in evaluating respiratory symptomatology and pathophysiology. Surface EMG may be applied for the evaluation of the activity of the diaphragm and other muscles of respiration, such as the intercostal, sternocleidomastoid, and scalene muscles. This serves essential and complex functions for quantification of dyspnea, respiratory drive and effort, as well as for determining the onset of respiratory muscle fatigue. The potential uses for a portable, non-invasive, and preferably wireless respiratory surface EMG device are myriad. However, further applicability of respiratory surface EMG is hindered by technological issues, such as optimal EMG sensor designs and the requisite EMG signal conditioning for the evaluation of respiratory muscle activity. There is abundant scope and need for further collaborative research between clinicians and researchers. This chapter summarizes the basic concepts, uses, and challenges involved in the application of respiratory surface EMG, especially in patients with chronic respiratory disorders, such as pulmonary emphysema.

Part of the book: Pulmonary Emphysema

By Kian Chung Ong and Earnest Arul

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a medical condition with a long and varied history. Centuries prior to the establishment of the term COPD in the late 1950s, the sub-components of ‘pulmonary emphysema’ and ‘chronic bronchitis’ have already been described in medical literature. The term COPD has been increasingly accepted and used by both healthcare institutions and the wider public since its inception, especially when compared to the usage of one of its primary components, ‘emphysema’. As such the recently proposed and adopted changes to the definition, nomenclature and taxonomy (classification) of COPD by the Global Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of COPD is of prime interest as they denote significant amendments to the decades-long understanding of COPD. This book chapter summarizes the rationale behind the recent revisions of the basic conceptions of COPD and discusses the implications of these contemporizing changes for clinicians and researchers.

Part of the book: Pulmonary Emphysema