Respiratory failure has many causes, including damage to the brain stem following an accident and weakening of the respiratory muscles due to illness.
Such cases necessitate artificial, mechanical ventilation or respiratory support. Here, medical equipment pumps air directly into the lungs, assisting the patient in his or her breathing. This type of therapy dates back to the well-known “iron lung,” which was first used to treat a child with respiratory failure in 1928.
Today’s artificial ventilation technology imposes far fewer restrictions on the patient and offers various types of ventilation, depending on the level of support required.
Home or outpatient ventilation refers to the long-term treatment of patients with respiratory ailments in their own homes or at assisted living facilities. The respiratory care centre and on-call technicians offer a 24-hour service here, ensuring uninterrupted patient care.
For many patients, these new technologies and services have had a major, positive impact on their daily lives. Outpatient care not only cuts costs, but also enables patients to maintain a quality, independent lifestyle, despite any serious respiratory problems.
