A CLINICAL SURVEY ON NON-INVASIVE POSITIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE CHRONIC RESPIRATORY FAILURE COVERING THE PAST TWO YEARS

NATIONAL HOSPITAL NETWORK OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES IN KYUSHU AREA

Abstract

We investigated the status of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in patients with stable chronic respiratory failure in Kyushu area covering the past 2 years, utilizing the national hospital network of respiratory diseases. Fifty-three cases, including 26 cases with sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis and 20 with COPD, were reported. Although selection criteria for NPPV were similar in each hospital, the settings of NPPV apparatus were different to some degree: frequency, inspiratory pressure (IPAP), and its maximum pressure. NPPV was discon tinued in 15.5% of cases, partly because of ineffectiveness or at the patient's request. Effectiveness was evaluated starting from the point of view of reduction of symptoms, improvement of arterial blood gases, and decrease in exacerbations, resulting in an effective rate of 81.7% of cases in total. Complications, seen in 34.3%, included skin injury and contact pain on the face with the interface. It is suggested that NPPV may be useful for improving the quality of life of patients with stable chronic respiratory failure presenting hypercapnea.