Abstract
Noninvasive ventilation has been available for over 100 years. In the past 25 years, relatively lightweight, portable ventilators and comfortable interfaces have become available that have allowed for full-time noninvasive ventilation. In motivated individuals who have access to centers with expertise in nocturnal and diurnal ventilation, continuous noninvasive ventilation is quite feasible. There are several reasons continuous noninvasive ventilation may be preferable to invasive tracheostomy ventilation, including the lack of need for an expensive surgical procedure, and less risk of infectious and bleeding complications. This article reviews the techniques and rationale for full-time noninvasive ventilation.
- noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation
- neuromuscular disease
- respiratory failure
- glossopharyngeal breathing
- insufflation
- exsufflation
- tracheostomy
- cough augmentation
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Joshua O Benditt MD, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 356522, Seattle WA 98195-6522. E-mail: benditt{at}u.washington.edu.
Joshua O Benditt MD presented a version of this paper at the 37th RESPIRATORY CARE Journal Conference, “Neuromuscular Disease in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,” held March 17-19, 2006, in Ixtapa, Mexico.
- Copyright © 2006 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
