ABSTRACT
Most patients receiving long-term domiciliary ventilation (LTDV) are ventilated with positive pressure ventilators, either invasively through a tracheostomy, or noninvasively, using masks or other interfaces. There is much less interest today in the use of negative pressure ventilators, such as the poncho-wrap and cuirass, or in abdominal displacement ventilators such as the pneumobelt or rocking bed. In the last 15 years the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has progressively increased, extending the indications for LTDV to many categories of patients. The many advantages of NIV over invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) include ease of use, fewer complications, avoidance of the unpleasant side effects of a tracheostomy (1,2), improved comfort (3), and reduced cost (4).
