Medical ventilators - Which one to buy? Is it difficult to use?

machinegodzilla · Feb 15, 2013

Hello,

My girlfriend's mom is affected by ALS. The condition is worsening and now we are looking for acquiring a medical ventilator. Obviously none of us knows much about what sort of ventilator to look for, with what parameters and how difficult it is to use it. Also we would like to know how such devices cope with deteriorating condition of the patient.

I would be supergrateful if someone could give us some advice or point to the resources where we can learn more on the subject.

Thank you

tmasters · Feb 17, 2013

Ventilators are classified as non-invasive (such as BIPAP) and invasive (requiring a tracheotomy). Is her mom already using BIPAP?

This link, from the MDA, gives a pretty good overview of respiratory issues with ALS:
Chapter 3 - Respiratory Issues - ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Caregivers' Guide| MDA's ALS Division

-Tom

sunewun · Feb 17, 2013

Her doctor should be helping you make this decision. Have you talked to anyone at the ALS clinic in your area? You will need a bipap (aka vpap) st or a triology but the dr. should decide the settings and/or type. Does she have a lung dr.?

dragonflydi · Feb 18, 2013

Check out some old threads about the Trilogy 100 external vent machine. My husband loves his. --Diane

machinegodzilla · Feb 26, 2013

Hi,

Thank you for your responses and for the ALS Caregivers' Guide link, very comprehensive.

sunewun, yes, the doctor has indeed recommended a BIPAP ventilator.

I had a discussion with a Philips representative and he said they had 4 models available:

- BiPAP S/T
- BiPAP Harmony
- BiPAP Synchrony
- Trilogy 100

He also said:

Currently the BiPAP S/T would be a good choice for home use due to its size, low noise level, easy-to-navigate interface and ability to connect to an oximetry module. The Harmony will be discontinued later this year but will be supported for a further 5 years dependent upon available parts not becoming obsolescent in that time. However, with the development of the disease, at a later stage is may be necessary to transfer to a Trilogy 100 which offers invasive ventilation capability and greater control over settings. I believe a clinician would probably be best placed to advise on device choice based on expected usage requirements.

I enquired at many places but only Philips and Dräger have responded and Dräger do not make ventilators intended for home use so we decided to buy the S/T model.

Thank you again for your help.

Medical ventilators - Which one to buy? Is it difficult to use?

machinegodzilla

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