Long-term use of intermittent positive-pressure breathing (IPPB) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The long-term use of intermittent positive-pressure breathing (IPPB) to deliver bronchodilator was compared to delivery by air compressor in 88 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were in the home care program. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of number of hospital admissions, days spent in hospital, or mortality. The deterioration in ventilatory function was the same in both groups, althouth the patients receiving IPPB appeared to have developed greater hyperinflation. The data suggest that there is little evidence to support the long-term use of IPPB in the therapy of most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.