Kyphoscoliotic Ventilatory Insufficiency

Objectives: To determine the effects of long-term nocturnal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) on symptoms, pulmonary function test results, sleep, and respiratory muscle performance in patients with ventilatory insufficiency due to severe kyphoscoliosis. Design: A prospective study in which 16 severe kyphoscoliotic patients were treated with NIPPV delivered by volume-cycled and pressure-cycled ventilators, over a period of 36 months. Interventions and measurements: At baseline, pulmonary function tests, blood gas measurements, polysomnography, and respiratory muscle strength (measured by noninvasive indexes) were obtained. Symptoms and the number of hospitalizations in the …