Chest
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Single-point measurements of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) are frequently used to suggest muscle weakness in clinical practice. Although there is a large variability in "mean" predicted MIP depending on the chosen reference values, it remains unclear whether those discrepancies actually impact on the prevalence of weakness, that is, MIP below the lower limit of normal. ⋯ The choice of MIP reference values strongly impacts on the prevalence of weakness. Some specific equations relate better to clinical and physiologic indicators of weakness, suggesting that they might be particularly useful to screen subjects for advanced respiratory neuromuscular assessment.