Chronic ventilator-assisted children in university hospitals in Japan.

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.