Clinical Characteristics of Patients Initiated on Long-Term Noninvasive Ventilation Support: A Single-Center Experience
Cansu Yılmaz Yeğit, Esin Yıldız Aldemir, Erkut Öztürk, Mehmet Arda Kılınç, Mehmet Gümüştaş, Hasan Önal, Alican Hatemi, Merih ÇetinkayaObjective: Long-term noninvasive ventilation (NIV) support is increasingly being used by pediatricians for children with complex medical diseases. However, data on NIV support among children in Turkiye are limited.
Methods: This study included children who received long-term NIV support between July 2022 and July 2024 at a single center. Demographic and clinical characteristics and short-term clinical outcomes were retrospectively evaluated.
Results: A total of 30 patients were included. The median age at NIV initiation was 39.5 months (range: 9–108 months), and the most common underlying etiology was cardiovascular diseases (n = 9, 30%). Twenty-six patients were discharged with long-term NIV support, with a median discharge time of 5.5 days (range: 3–13 days) after NIV initiation. Of the 26 patients discharged with NIV support, four died during follow-up. Three patients, all of whom were from the cardiovascular group, no longer required respiratory support.
Conclusions: NIV can be used effectively for a wide variety of diseases in children. Understanding the current status of NIV support in our clinical setting may help us design a protocol to improve future outcomes.