ABSTRACT
The first patients to receive home mechanical ventilation were those who suffered from restrictive thoracic disorders. The large number of ventilator-dependent p0lio survivors during the 1950s stimulated the organization of home care groups in Europe, particularly France, and in the United States. As will be demonstrated in this chapter, these patients and those with other types of restrictive thoracic disorders have improved survivals and a good quality of life when treated with long-term mechanical ventilation.
