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

Data on clinical characteristics, fit, and ventilation parameters were collected from COPD patients receiving mechanical ventilation at home in a cross-sectional, multicenter, real-life study. Ventilation parameters and daily usage information were recorded by the ventilators’ built-in software, and lung function test data was obtained from clinical records for the previous 12 months.

Of the 569 study participants with mechanically ventilated home COPD, 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. In total, 48.7% of patients reported a high rate of treatment adherence, with a median of 8 h / d of use. Most (91.7%) of the patients used oronasal masks.

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The study authors state: “Consistent with the most recent studies and recommendations, there appears to be a move towards higher ventilation pressures, increased use of oronasal masks and an intention to achieve normocapnia” in patients with COPD on mechanical ventilation at home.

Disclosure: Several study authors have declared affiliations with the industry. Please see the original reference for a full list of author 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 multicenter study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2021; 16: 2217-2226. doi: 10.2147 / COPD.S314826