Adaptive Support Ventilation as the sole mode of ventilatory support in chronically ventilated patients.

OBJECTIVE To describe the outcome of patients admitted to a new private facility for chronically ventilated patients in the Ashdod area of Israel. METHODS On arrival, all patients were placed on Adaptive Support Ventilation (ASV) at 90% of target minute ventilation for lean body weight, reducing progressively in weekly decrements of 10% down to 60% of target minute ventilation if adequate spontaneous ventilation was maintained by the patient. RESULTS Almost half (12/27) of these patients admitted in the first 12 months following establishment of the facility were successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation within 2 weeks to 2 months of admission. CONCLUSIONS The cost effectiveness of this form of closed loop mechanical ventilation in achieving weaning automatically, without the need for respiratory therapists or continuous attendance by intensive care specialists to conduct weaning trials is demonstrated by these results.