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[Home respiratory care in Scandinavia]
1Medicinska kliniken, Lungsektionen, Universitetssjukhuset, Lund.
Nordisk Medicin
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Domiciliary ventilation, an effective treatment for chronic hypoventilation, shows increasing demand across Nordic countries. National services vary due to organizational and attitudinal differences in treating chronic lung and neurological diseases.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Domiciliary ventilation has been a recognized treatment for chronic hypoventilation and thoracic deformity for four decades.
- It enables most patients to lead normal lives by providing assisted respiration primarily during nighttime hours.
Discussion:
- Significant national variations exist in domiciliary ventilation services across Nordic countries, influenced by organizational structures and differing attitudes towards its application in progressive neurological and chronic lung diseases.
- Prevalence rates per 100,000 population range from 2.3 (Norway) to 6.7 (Iceland), with Denmark and Iceland exhibiting more centralized services.
Key Insights:
- Interest in domiciliary ventilation has expanded from anesthesiology and infectious diseases to respiratory specialists, driven by advancements in understanding sleep-related breathing disorders.
- The use of nasal masks is becoming increasingly prevalent in domiciliary ventilation. Specialized respiratory support units, like those in Copenhagen and Arhus, assess and train patients, families, and aides for home management.
Outlook:
- The demand for domiciliary ventilation is projected to rise throughout the Nordic region.
- Further research into optimizing service delivery and addressing national disparities in access and application is warranted.