Happy ever after? A new assessment tool for long-term noninvasive ventilation: the S3-NIV questionnaire

Over a decade ago, the Eurovent study [1] examined the practice of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) in Europe and showed that the prevalence was increasing and indications for use were growing, but that there were wide inequalities in provision. Services offered varied considerably between countries [2], with no obvious standardisation of care. Subsequent prevalence work worldwide has confirmed the expansion of this area, and randomised trials have established clearer indications for initiation of long-term noninvasive ventilation (NIV), e.g. in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [3–5] and motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [6]. Outcomes were originally measured by survival and physiological measures.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Editorials Source Type: research