Chronic Neuromuscular Respiratory Failure and Home Assisted Ventilation

This article is a very thorough review of chronic respiratory failure in patients with neuromuscular and chest wall disorders. It explains that these disorders can affect various muscles involved in breathing, leading to hypoventilation and the need for respiratory support, even in patients without full crisis. The article focuses on noninvasive ventilation as a method to improve symptoms, sleep quality, and mortality rates. It also discusses situations where noninvasive ventilation may not be effective, and a transition to tracheal ventilation should be considered. The review covers the pathophysiology (aka the physical breakdown) of chronic neuromuscular respiratory failure, common diseases associated with it, and the various management strategies, including noninvasive and invasive ventilation.