Treatment effects of long term home non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in patients with stable serious chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To determine the efficiency of long term home non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in patients with serious stable COPD.Methods Eighty patients with serious stable COPD were divided into treatment group (conventional treatment +NIPPV,32 patients) and control group (conventional treatment,48 patients).The lung function test,arterial blood gases,6MWD,the rate of acute COPD exacerbations,hospital admissions and mortality were recorded before the treatment and two years after the treatment.Results PaCO2,PaO2 and 6MWD improved after two years in the treatment group ( P ＜0.05),they did not improve in the control group ( P ＞0.05).The frequencies of exacerbations and hospital admissions were decreased after two years in the treatment group ( P ＜0.05),they were increased in the control group,but no significance.FVC and FEV1 were decreased after two years in two groups,but it was slow in the treatment group ( P ＜0.05).All between the groups were statistically significant difference after two years.4 cases in the treatment group and 8 cases in the control group were dead after 2 years,and the difference between the two groups was not significant ( P ＞0.05).Conclusions Long term home NIPPV could decrease exacerbations and hospital admissions in patients with serious COPD who were in stable condition.This therapy may benefit blood gas tensions,the lung function and life quality in these patients. Key words: The stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;  Home non-invasive positive pressure ventilation