Materials and Method: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure using home mechanical ventilation over age 65 were investigated cross-sectionally in Dokuz Eylul University Hospital between 2009-2011.
Results: The 31 patients (23 male and 8 female) had a mean age of 66.2±11.1.The most common application symptom was dyspnea; symptoms were found to regress in 63.4% of the group according to the Borg scale. Patients used mechanical ventilation for an average time of 4.6±3.9 h/day. 24 patients (77.4%) reported no problems with vehicle adherence. It was found that pH increased from 7.37 to 7.40 (p=0.07) and PaCO2 decreased from 64.3 mmHg to 50.1 mmHg (p<0.001) in a statistically significant way in arterial blood gas after mechanical ventilation therapy. Mean FEV1 value increased from 0.76 L to 0.80 L (% predicted from 31.6% to 32.2%).Emergency visits decreased from 1.6/year to 0.9/year, and a 1.3/year hospitalization rate decreased to 0.7/year after home mechanical ventilation therapy, both of which were statistically significant (p=0.044 and p=0.003, respectively).
Conclusion: Elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients on a home mechanical ventilation program were found to have good treatment adherence, reduction in dyspnea, decrease in acidosis and hypercapnia, functional improvement, and a lower number of emergency visits and hospitalizations. These results show that home mechanical ventilation treatment can provide medical benefits.
Keywords : Pulmonary Disease; Chronic Obstructive; Aged; Respiration, Artificial