How to eat, drink and speak on non-invasive ventilation.

We report our observations on six individuals with non-bulbar neuromuscular disorders using non-invasive ventilation (NIV), who were able to maintain adequate hydration and nutrition orally despite being ventilator-dependant. All had severe respiratory muscle weakness, with a vital capacity less than 500 mL and cough peak flow rate less than 250 L/min. Their median (range) age was 49 (23-64) years; they had been on NIV for 8 (2-24) years.

Long-Term Survival on Noninvasive Ventilation in Adults With Thoracic Scoliosis.

Background: Subjects with thoracic scoliosis were an important group in early studies of noninvasive ventilation (NIV). The aim of this study was to describe current rates of initiation of NIV and survival after initiation in this population.

Methods: This study included patients identified as having thoracic scoliosis and established between 1993 and 2018 on home NIV.