An evaluation of home volume ventilators that support open-circuit mouthpiece ventilation.

BACKGROUND

Open-circuit mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) is a form of noninvasive ventilation that can be used to provide portable daytime ventilatory support for neuromuscular patients with chronic respiratory failure. MPV has been reported to reduce the risk of respiratory infection due to tracheostomy, and to improve cough and voice function and patient quality of life. Despite these potential benefits, mouthpiece ventilation is not widely used. This may be due in part to the fact that little information is available as to which ventilators can support this application.

OBJECTIVE

To determine which volume-cycled portable home ventilators currently available in the United States will support MPV, and what peak inspiratory flow rates create adequate circuit pressure to prevent low-pressure alarming.

METHODS

We used a commercially available MPV breathing circuit with a set tidal volume range of 500\N1,000 mL with each of 8 ventilators currently available in the United States.

RESULTS

Six of the 8 ventilators supported MPV: Respironics Lifecare PLV-100 and PLV Continuum, Mallinckrodt Achieva PSO2, Pulmonetics LTV800, Newport HT50, and Uni-Vent Eagle 754.