Related Experiment Videos
Home positive-pressure ventilation. Twenty years' experience
Chest
|October 1, 1983
Summary
Home management with positive-pressure ventilators offers a viable alternative to hospitalization for ventilator-dependent patients with chronic respiratory failure. This approach demonstrates significant cost benefits and acceptable survival rates, particularly for adults.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Chronic respiratory failure necessitates long-term ventilatory support.
- Home-based mechanical ventilation is an emerging alternative to prolonged hospital care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes, benefits, and complications of home positive-pressure ventilation.
- To compare home management costs versus hospital-based care.
- To assess survival rates in patients with and without spinal cord injuries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 47 patients (26 adults, 21 children) with chronic respiratory failure on home positive-pressure ventilators.
- Life-table analysis was used to project survival rates.
- Cost analysis was performed based on nursing care requirements.
Main Results:
- Fifty-five percent of patients had spinal cord injuries.
- Projected three-year survival was 74% for patients without spinal injury and 63% for those with spinal injury.
- Home management was significantly less costly than hospital care for most patients.
- Mortality was higher in children than in adults.
Conclusions:
- Home mechanical ventilation is a feasible option for stable, ventilator-dependent adults and children.
- It offers a cost-effective alternative to prolonged hospitalization.
- Careful patient selection and monitoring are crucial for successful outcomes.