Non-invasive ventilation during cycle exercise training in patients with chronic respiratory failure on long-term ventilatory support: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Objective: The role of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) during exercise training (ET) in patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to test whether NIV during ET had an additional effect in increasing the 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and cycle endurance time compared with ET alone.

Methods: All patients underwent 20 sessions of cycle training over 3 weeks and were randomly assigned to ET with NIV or ET alone.

Attitudes and preferences of home mechanical ventilation users from four European countries: an ERS/ELF survey.

Home mechanical ventilation is increasingly used by people with chronic respiratory failure. However, there are few reports on attitudes towards treatment. A web-based survey in eight languages was disseminated across 11 European countries to evaluate the perception of home mechanical ventilation provision in ventilator-assisted individuals and caregivers.

Tele-medicine in respiratory diseases.

Information and Communication Technologies applied to health care and advances in sensor and data transmission technology allowed tele-medicine based programs of care also for patients with respiratory diseases. Different sensors, transmission devices and interventions are used in tele-medicine for some indications. Patients suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, asthma, neuromuscular diseases, ventilator assisted individuals and those undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation programs may benefit from this approach.