Transition from ICU to Portable home ventilator (PHV) in children with
severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
Abstract
As the population of ventilator-dependent children (VDC) with
tracheostomies due to underlying severe BPD grows, there is an
increasing need to shift the care of these children from hospital to
home. Transitioning the ventilator-dependent child from the hospital to
home is a complex process that requires coordination between the medical
team and the family. One crucial step in the process is transitioning
from an Intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator to a portable home
ventilator (PHV). The Clinical team needs to understand the nuances in
transitioning to PHV, including assessing readiness to transition and
choosing the optimum settings on an available home ventilator. In recent
years, various ventilator modes have been available in PHV that can help
achieve synchronous breathing to allow for adequate gas exchange for the
infant. This review details some approaches to asses readiness to
transition and the process of Transition along with commonly used modes
of support available in PHV, as well as the primary and secondary
settings in which we should be mindful in supporting a child with
chronic respiratory failure in the home setting.