Table of contents
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
What's new
Updated 2023 ACCP guidelines for respiratory management in patients with neuromuscular disorders.
Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP 2023), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC 2022), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS 2022), the American Heart Association (AHA/HRS/ACC 2018), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN 2016), and the British ...
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Diagnostic investigations
Respiratory evaluation: as per ACCP 2023 guidelines, obtain pulmonary function testing to assist with management decisions in patients with neuromuscular disease at risk for respiratory complications.
E
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Sleep evaluation
Cardiac evaluation
Assessment of dysphagia
Assessment of pain
Respiratory support
Airway clearance, manually assisted cough: as per ACCP 2023 guidelines, consider using manually assisted cough techniques, independently or added to other modalities (such as lung volume recruitment), in patients with reduced cough effectiveness.
C
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Airway clearance (lung volume recruitment)
Airway clearance (mechanical insufflation-exsufflation)
Airway clearance (high-frequency chest wall oscillation)
Airway clearance (sputum mobilization)
Airway clearance (nebulized saline)
Airway clearance (noninvasive ventilation)
Airway clearance (acute infection)
Noninvasive ventilation
Invasive ventilation
Medical management
Corticosteroids
As per AAN 2016 guidelines:
Offer prednisone at a preferred dose of 0.75 mg/kg/day to improve strength and pulmonary function in pediatric patients with DMD.
B
Consider offering prednisone to improve timed motor function, reduce the need for scoliosis surgery, and delay cardiomyopathy onset by 18 years of age. Recognize that prednisone 0.75 mg/kg/day is associated with a significant risk of weight gain, hirsutism, and cushingoid appearance. B
Consider offering deflazacort to improve strength and timed motor function, delay age at loss of ambulation by 1.4-2.5 years, improve pulmonary function, reduce the need for scoliosis surgery, delay cardiomyopathy onset, and increase survival at 5-15 years of follow-up in pediatric patients with DMD. Recognize that deflazacort may be associated with a greater risk of cataracts than prednisone.
C
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Opioids
Anticoagulant therapy
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Nutritional support
As per BTS 2012 guidelines:
Provide feeding advice from a specialist therapist in pediatric patients with swallowing difficulties.
E
Provide a problem-orientated approach to nutrition aiming to minimize the risk of aspiration, optimize nutritional status, promote comfort, and balance the positive social consequences of continued oral feeding.
E
Therapeutic procedures
Permanent pacemaker implantation
As per HRS 2022 guidelines:
Perform permanent pacemaker implantation in patients with DMD with documented symptomatic bradycardia due to any degree of SND or AV block, if concordant with the patient's goals of care and clinical status.
B
Perform permanent pacemaker implantation in patients with DMD and third-degree or advanced second-degree AV block at any anatomical level, with or without symptoms, if concordant with the patient's goals of care and clinical status.
B
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CRT
ICD
Perioperative care
Patient education
General counseling: as per BTS 2012 guidelines, engage patients, parents, and carers in a process of mutual participation in decision-making with full disclosure of all information in a sensitive and timely fashion in order to make informed choices consistent with their own values and preferences.
B
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