Quality of life improves in patients with chronic heart failure and Cheyne-Stokes respiration treated with adaptive servo-ventilation in a nurse-led heart failure clinic.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate if quality of life improved in chronic heart failure patients with Cheyne-Stokes respiration treated with adaptive servo-ventilation in nurse-led heart failure clinic.


BACKGROUND
Cheyne-Stokes respiration is associated with decreased quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure. Adaptive servo-ventilation is introduced to treat this sleep-disordered breathing.


METHODS
Randomised, controlled design.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients (ranging from 53-84 years), New York Heart Association III-IV and/or left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% and Cheyne-Stokes respiration were randomised to an intervention group who received adaptive servo-ventilation or a control group. Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire was used to assess quality of life at randomisation and after three months. Both groups were followed in the nurse-led heart failure clinic.


RESULTS
Adaptive servo ventilation improved quality of life-scores both in a per protocol analysis and in an intention to treat analysis. Twenty-one patients dropped out of the study, nine in the control and 12 in the intervention group.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of adaptive servo-ventilation improved quality of life in chronic heart failure patients with Cheyne-Stokes respiration. However, the drop-out rate was high.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic heart failure patients come regularly to the nurse-led heart failure clinic. The heart failure nurses' competency has to include knowledge of equipment to provide support and continuity of care to the patients.
Department of Medicine, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, Norway.
Margareth W
MW
Olseng
Intensive and Post Operative Unit, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, Norway.
Brita F
BF
Olsen
Department of Medicine, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, Norway.
Arild
A
Hetland
Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
May S
MS
Fagermoen
Department of Medicine, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, Norway.|Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.|Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Morten
M
Jacobsen
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002639:Cheyne-Stokes Respiration / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011788:Quality of Life; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Cheyne-Stokes respiration; adaptive servo-ventilation; chronic heart failure; nurse-led heart failure clinic; quality of life