[Home intermittent negative pressure ventilation in a case of chronic respiratory failure due to old tuberculous pleuritis].

A 64-year-old male with a history of tuberculous pleuritis at age 29 had received home oxygen therapy since age 58 because of chronic respiratory failure. He was admitted with symptoms of dyspnea at rest and myoclonus at age 62. Because CO2 narcosis occurred twice, we performed intermittent negative pressure ventilation (INPV) after short-term positive pressure ventilation with transnasal intubation. He has received INPV for 7 hours every day at his home for 20 months without acute exacerbation of respiratory failure, and his activity of daily life subsequently improved. In conclusion, INPV seems to be useful for patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure due to lung disease.