Miniature Ventilator May Help COPD Patients Improve Mobility, Seton Medical Center Study

A miniature, easy-to-carry ventilation system with a simple nasal mask may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) become more active, according to research conducted at medical centers in California and Utah. The compact design offers an attractive alternative to currently available larger, less comfortableventilators and masks. The results of the study will be presented at the ATS 2011 International Conference in Denver. "The results from this study suggest that miniature ventilation systems with non-sealing, low profile nasal masks may offer a new option for improving activity limitation in COPD patients," said Chris Garvey, FNP, MSN, MPA, manager of pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, CA and lead author of the study. "Stable outpatients with advanced COPD were very comfortable while using the ventilator system and many of the patients studied expressed interest in using the device on a routine basis at home. Although further research is needed, these results suggest that this new system may provide a practical method of improving activity limitation in advanced COPD."