Quality of life under home mechanical ventilation

Background: During home mechanical ventilation quality of life depends on i mprovement of ventilation and progress of the underlying disease. Patients and Methods: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD; n = 11), neuromuscular diseases (NMD; n = 8) and skoliosis (n = 8) an swered before and after 306 +/- 232 (64 to 910) days home mechanical ventil ation a standardized and validated questionnaire (SF 36, Medical Outcomes T rust, Boston, USA). Results: For all patients together physical functioning (16 +/- 22 to 24 +/ - 26%), general health (33 +/- 15 to 41 +/- 20%) and vitality (25 +/- 16 to 45 +/- 22%) improved significantly (p < 0.05). For COPD vitality (22 +/- 1 5 to 46 +/- 22%), for patients with NMD mental health (62 +/- 9 to 70 +/- 1 0%) and for patients with scoliosis vitality (35 +/- 15 to 59 +/- 22%) and mental health (61 +/- 11 to 74 +/- 4%) improved. Conclusion: Home mechanical ventilation improves quality of life, but the i mprovement depends on the underlying disease.