This project corresponds to a scoping review that aims to map and synthesise the available evidence on the use of ultrasound assessment of abdominal respiratory muscles during weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation in adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Although diaphragmatic ultrasound has been widely studied in the context of ventilator weaning, the role of expiratory muscles—particularly the abdominal muscles—remains insufficiently explored, despite their physiological relevance for cough effectiveness, airway protection, and respiratory load management during the transition to spontaneous breathing. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this review identifies and describes the populations studied, ultrasound acquisition protocols, assessed abdominal muscle parameters (such as muscle thickness and thickening fraction), timing of measurements, and reported weaning or extubation outcomes. In addition, the review maps methodological heterogeneity, knowledge gaps, and areas requiring standardisation to inform future research. This OSF project provides transparency to the review process and serves as an open repository for the protocol, search strategies, data extraction framework, and supporting materials associated with this scoping review.
Parada et al. (Thu,) studied this question.