title: Use of volume-targeted non-invasive bilevel positive airway pressure ventilation in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which most patients die of respiratory failure. Although volume-targeted non-invasive bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) ventilation has been studied in patients with chronic respiratory failure of various etiologies, its use in ALS has not been reported. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with ALS and respiratory failure treated with volume-targeted BPAP ventilation for 15 weeks. Weekly data downloads showed that disease progression was associated with increased respiratory muscle weakness, decreased spontaneous breathing, and increased use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, whereas tidal volume and minute ventilation remained relatively constant.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaz-Abad
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: John Edward
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D063087:Noninvasive Ventilation; D017286:Polysomnography; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013990:Tidal Volume