Aims: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients treated with domiciliary nocturnal support ventilation (NSV).
Methods: Case-note review of all patients treated with home NSV by Green Lane Hospital.
Results: 111 patients received home NSV between 1990 and 1999. 59 had respiratory failure due to obesity-hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), most of whom were Maori or Pacific Island people. Their mean BMI was 53 kg/m2. They frequently presented acutely, and often in extremis. After a median duration of 22 months treatment, 37 patients continued treatment. Four have died, but none from respiratory failure. Other causes of respiratory failure included: neuromuscular disease (26), kyphoscoliosis (19) and obstructive sleep apnoea (8). Patients who did not have OHS were mostly of New Zealand European ethnicity, required lower ventilation pressures than patients with OHS, and had better arterial blood gases on treatment. After a median follow-up of 35 months, however, fourteen have died. 33 continued on treatment. Both OHS and non-OHS patients had high deprivation scores according to NZdep96. This was most apparent for patients with OHS.
Conclusions: OHS is an important cause of respiratory failure in New Zealand, particularly affecting Maori and Pacific people. The prognosis of OHS treated with NSV appears to be good despite significant co-morbidity.