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Chronic ventilator‐assisted children in university hospitals in Japan
Author(s) -
SAKAKIHARA YOICHI,
YONEYAMA AKIRA,
KAMOSHITA SHIGEHIKO
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1993.tb03064.x
Subject(s) - medicine , encephalopathy , pediatrics , mechanical ventilation , chronic disease , intensive care , assisted ventilation , university hospital , disease , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , surgery
The status of chronic ventilator‐assisted children admitted to university hospitals in Japan was investigated. Of 81 university hospitals which responded to the survey, 52 hospitals had admitted 102 patients requiring chronic ventilatory support. More than 60% of the patients were suffering from neurologic disorders. Werdnig‐Hoffmann disease was the most common disease, followed by hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy, congenital heart disorders and various myopathies. The average duration of ventilator care was 823 days. Only nine patients were weanable from the mechanical ventilation. Although the population of chronic ventilator‐dependent patients was not large, the chronic nature of the basic disorders and the need for intensive care of the patients have raised serious social and medical issues.