Predictors of non-invasive ventilation tolerance in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract Background The most frequent cause of death in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is respiratory failure. Recently, it has been shown that non-invasive ventilation improves survival and quality of life in ALS patients with respiratory failure, but little is known about predictors of non-invasive ventilation adaptation and tolerance. In this study we evaluated the effect of a comprehensive information about non-invasive ventilation use and a prolonged and intensive monitoring on tolerance to this palliative care. Methods We prospectively monitored all consecutive ALS patients with chronic respiratory failure and indication to non-invasive ventilation between January 2…