[Social and housing conditions of patients with chronic respiratory failure treated in the ANTADIR Federation].

Introduction: Chronic respiratory failure (CRF) has an impact on quality of life because of respiratory handicap.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to analyse the daily life and social activities of patients with CRF. A questionnaire was addressed to over 9000 patients being cared for in the ANTADIR homecare network, with over a 60% response rate.

[Home respiratory care].

In 1980, 11,000 French patients were given home respiratory care (HRC); today there are ten times more cases, i.e. about 120,000.

Organization of home respiratory care: the experience in France with ANTADIR.

In France, home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is mainly organized through the public system, using a national network of 33 Regional Associations for home care of chronic respiratory insufficiency, which are federated on a national basis by The French National Home Care Association for Chronic Respiratory Insufficiency (ANTADIR). Twenty three thousand six hundred and twenty three patients were being treated at home through that organization at the end of 1991, 14,173 of whom received long-term oxygen therapy (LTO), 2,267 were ventilated by tracheostomy, 1,139 had nasal mask ventilation, and 3,322 received nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In common practice, the association performs the installation of the respiratory apparatus at home, at no cost to the patient who is covered by the social security for all expenses.