8-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF A PATIENT WITH CENTRAL ALVEOLAR HYPOVENTILATION TREATED WITH DIAPHRAGM PACING

We had treated a 17-year-old girl with central alveolar hypoventilatio n with diaphragm pacing at home for the past 8 years. Nocturnal diaphr agm pacing with an open tracheostomy was effective in maintaining an a dequate ventilation after 4 months of undergoing training of the diaph ragm on the pacemaker implantation. However, the diaphragm pacemaker f ailed to maintain it mostly in the presence of respiratory tract infec tion, when she was treated with intermittent positive-pressure ventila tion. Pulse oximetry was used at home for monitoring the adequacy of r espiratory support. We conclude that the respiratory assistance by the diaphragm pacemaker or the use of a mechanical ventilator as a backup was highly useful for the home care of a patient with central alveola r hypoventilation.