Study Finds Patients Adherent to Home Mechanical Ventilation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Patients undergoing home mechanical ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were found to be highly compliant with the therapy, according to the results of a recent study published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Data related to clinical characteristics, adaptation, and ventilatory settings were collected from patients with COPD receiving home mechanical ventilation as part of a cross-sectional, multicenter, real-life study. Ventilation parameters and information on daily use were recorded by the ventilators’ built-in software, and pulmonary function test data were obtained from clinical records over the previous 12 months.

Among the 569 study participants with COPD on home mechanical ventilation, the majority were men (71.5%), and the median age was 72 years. There was a high prevalence of obesity (43.2%) and sleep apnea (45.8%) among this population. A total of 48.7% of patients reported a high rate of adherence to treatment, with a median of 8 h/d of use.  Most (91.7%) patients used oronasal masks.

The study authors state, “In agreement with most recent studies and recommendations, there seems to be a move towards higher ventilation pressures, increased use of oronasal masks and an intent to obtain normocapnia” in patients with COPD on home mechanical ventilation.

Disclosure: Several study authors declared affiliations with industry. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.

Reference

Ribeiro C, Vieira AL, Pamplona P, et al. Current practices in home mechanical ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a real-life cross-sectional multicentric study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis.  2021;16:2217-2226. doi:10.2147/COPD.S314826