Is chronic ventilatory support really effective in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

Most patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) develop respiratory insufficiency in the advanced stage of their disease. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is commonly regarded to be a treatment that is effective in reducing these complaints. To assess whether the effect of NIV on gas exchange and quality of life (QOL) is different in patients with ALS versus without ALS. A post hoc analysis was done with data from a previously published trial, in which all patients were instituted on NIV. Arterial blood gasses were assessed next to QOL by generic as well as disease-specific questionnaires. 77 patients started NIV: 30 with ALS and 47 without. Both groups showed significant improvements in blood gasses after 2 and 6 months. Compared to the non-ALS group, the ALS group had significantly worse scores after 6 months in MRF-28, SRI, HADS and SF-36 than the non-ALS group. This study shows that NIV improves gas exchange, both in patients with and without ALS. QOL improves markedly more in patients without ALS than in those with ALS, in whom only some domains improve. Our observation of little or no effect in ALS patients warrants a large study limited to ALS patients only.

Initiation of home mechanical ventilation at home: a randomised controlled trial of efficacy, feasibility and costs

INTRODUCTION

Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) in the Netherlands is normally initiated in hospital, but this is expensive and often a burden for the patient. In this randomised controlled study we investigated whether initiation of HMV at home in patients with chronic respiratory failure is non-inferior to an in hospital based setting.

METHODS

Seventy-seven patients were included, of which 38 patients started HMV at home. All patients were diagnosed with chronic respiratory failure due to a neuromuscular or thoracic cage disease. Primary outcome was the arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) while quality of life and costs were secondary outcomes. Telemonitoring was used in the home group to provide therapeutic information, for example; transcutaneous carbon dioxide, oxygen saturation and ventilator information, to the caregivers. Follow-up was six months.

RESULTS

PaCO2, improved by 0.72 (SE ± 0.16) kPa in the hospital group and by 0.91 (±0.20) in the home group, both improvements being significant and the latter clearly not inferior. There were also significant improvements in quality of life in both groups, again not being inferior with home treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to show that initiation of HMV at home in a selective group of patients with chronic respiratory failure is as effective for gas exchange and quality of life as hospital initiation. In addition we found that it is safe, technically feasible and that more than € 3000 per patient can be saved compared to our standard care.