Chronic respiratory failure is a major factor contributing to mortality in progressive neuromuscular disorders. Among the muscular dystrophies, respiratory failure most commonly occurs with Duchenne dystrophy, while in Becker, limb-girdle, and facioscapulo-humeral dystrophies, respiratory failure is infrequent and generally occurs in the more severe cases that have progressed to a nonambulatory...

we maintain mechanical ventilation for 3 weeks. Then, after the tube is removed, the patient continues with nasal nocturnal ventilation and intermittent positive-pressure ventilation for 20 min three times a day. If, despite this management, the patient requires invasive ventilation more than three times during the same year or requires nasal ventilation not only during sleeping, but also while...

Background: Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is a non-invasive ventilatory mode, which delivers mechanical ventilation via nasal tubes or prongs. The present study was conducted to compare the efficacy of NIPPV and nasal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (NCPAP) in reducing the need for intubation in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)....

Chest 1976; 69:722-28 3 Smith BA, Kirby RR, Cooding JM, Civetta JM. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) by face mask. Crit Care Med 1980; 8:483-85 4 Braun NMT. Nocturnal ventilation-a new method. Am Rev Respir Dis 1987; 135:523-24 5 Kerby GR, Mayer LS, Pingelton SK. Nocturnal positive pressure ventilation via nasal mask. Am Rev Respir Dis 1987; 135:738-40 6 Ellis ER, Bye PTP, Bruderer JW...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) given with nasal prongs compared with nasal mask reduces the rate of intubation and mechanical ventilation in preterm infants within 72 hours of starting therapy. METHODS Infants <31 weeks' gestation treated with NCPAP were randomly assigned to receive it via either prongs or mask. Randomization was stratified by...