To evaluate the care status of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with long-term use of tracheostomy tube by caregivers of ALS patients.

A survey was conducted in the form of questionnaires to ALS patients and their caregivers. All measurements were performed by two visiting nurses. For statistical analysis, SPSS ver. 22.0 and Mann-Whitney U test on non-normal distribution were used.

In total, 19 patients (15 males and 4 females) and their caregivers participated in the survey. In the case of patients, the average duration of care was 5.9±3.7 years, and the mean periods of illness and tracheostomy were 5.3±3.2 years and 3.0±2.6 years, respectively. Replacement intervals were 14 days in 11 patients, 7 days in 4 patients, 28 days in 2 patients, and 21 days in 1 patient. One patient was unable to provide an accurate replacement interval. Eighteen (99%) caregivers had experience of adding volume to a cuff without pressure measure in the following instances: due to patients' needs in 7 cases, air leakage in 7 cases, and no reason in 4 cases. Mean pressure of tracheostomy cuff was 40±9.4 cmH₂O, and air volume of tracheostomy cuff was 6.7±3.2 mL, but real mean volume was 7.0±2.9 mL. The number of suctioning for airway clearance was a mean 27.5±18.2 times a day.

According to this survey, we notice that almost all the patients and caregivers had an erroneous idea about cuff volume and pressure. Moreover, education and long-term professional care of tracheostomy cannot be overemphasized in this manner.

To investigate phasic changes during filling cystometry that most accurately represent detrusor properties, regardless of other factors affecting detrusor contractility.

Seventy-eight patients (59 males, 19 females; mean age, 48.2 years) with spinal cord injuries were enrolled. Urodynamic studies were performed using a normal saline filling rate of 24 mL/min. We calculated bladder compliance values of the detrusor muscle in each of three filling phase intervals, which divided the filling cystometrogram into three phases referable to the cystometric capacity or maximum cystometric capacity. The three phases were sequentially delineated by reference to the pressure-volume curve reflecting bladder filling.

Bladder compliance during the first and second phases of filling cystometry was significantly correlated with overall bladder compliance in overactive detrusors. The highest coefficient of determination (r²=0.329) was obtained during the first phase of the pressure-volume curve. Bladder compliance during all three phases was significantly correlated with overall bladder compliance of filling cystometry in underactive detrusors. However, the coefficient of determination was greatest (r²=0.529) during the first phase of filling cystometry.

Phasic bladder compliance during the early filling phase (first filling phase) was the most representative assessment of overall bladder compliance during filling cystometry. Careful determination of early phase filling is important when seeking to acquire reliable urodynamic data on neurogenic bladders.