Typical within and between person variability in non-invasive ventilator derived variables among clinically stable,...

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Data Science in Healthcare

Background:

• Remote monitoring of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is expanding.
• Understanding day-to-day and person-to-person variability in NIV data is crucial but poorly described.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the variability of NIV device-derived data in clinically stable adults on long-term therapy.
• To differentiate between inter-individual and intra-individual variation in NIV parameters.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, single-center study over 2 months with clinically stable adults on long-term NIV.
• Participants were switched to tele-monitoring ventilators; settings and masks remained unchanged.
• Nested analysis of variance was used to quantify variation in ventilator variables.

Main Results:

• Data from 29 participants (1364 days) showed predominantly inter-individual variation in most NIV indices.
• Usage, Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index, leak, tidal volume, and respiratory rate showed higher between-participant variance.
• For example, total leak variation was 83% between participants versus 17% within participants.

Conclusions:

• Ventilator-derived indices in stable NIV patients exhibit greater variability between individuals than day-to-day.
• Individualized normative ranges and clinical intervention thresholds are likely necessary for effective NIV management.
• Further research is needed to link therapy targets to patient-reported outcomes.