Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the standard procedure for feeding severely dysphagic patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is associated with prolonged survival and improvement in quality of life. Nasal inspiratory pressure during a sniff (SNIP) is a respiratory test used extensively in ALS for the assessment of inspiratory muscle strength. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of SNIP at baseline to predict PEG placement in ALS. Data from a clinical incident cohort of 179 ALS cases attending the multidisciplinary ALS unit of the University of Bari between April 2006 and December 2012 were retrospectively analysed. At baseline, patients underwent detailed neurological, nutritional and respiratory assessments, including measurements of SNIP and forced vital capacity (FVC). Patients were therefore followed up approximately every three to six months until they were able to attend the centre. The censoring date for the survival analysis was 15 April 2014, with PEG placement as the main outcome. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the association between SNIP and PEG placement, adjusted for possible confounders. During the follow-up period, 75 participants (42%) received PEG implant. PEG placement was more frequent (57% vs. 31%; p = 0.001) and earlier (after 11.6 ± 14.0 months from the first visit, vs. 23.3 ± 15.5 months; p < 0.0001) in the group of patients with baseline SNIP ≤ 40 cm H2O. Baseline SNIP was a predictor of PEG placement even after correction for multiple potential confounders (HR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99; p = 0.02). To conclude, the present study showed that SNIP at baseline is an early indicator of disease progression and therefore of the need for enteral nutrition in ALS.
Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; prognosis; sniff nasal inspiratory pressure.