[Home treatment of chronic respiratory insufficiency. Sociodemographic aspects of chronic respiratory insufficiency in France. Preliminary results of a survey concerning 3120 patients registered in a district association for assistance to patients with respiratory insufficiency].

The observations of the National Association for the Domiciliary treatment of respiratory failure (A.N.T.A.D.I.R.) affords the opportunity for some hard information on the complex problem of chronic respiratory failure in France. The objectives were to perceive the demographic fluctuations of the population, to follow the development of the distribution of health care, to assess the cost effectiveness of the activities and to place the different participants in the overall schema of the system. The initial results on 3,120 patients show one female for every 2.5 males with a mean age of 62.87. Disorders with chronic airflow obstruction account for 60% and restrictive disorders for 20%. Assisted tracheal ventilation (20% overall) was applied, particularly to this latter type, long term oxygen (O.L.D.) 28% or assisted ventilation with a mouthpiece (VAB) to 45% with chronic airflow obstruction. VAB is still widely practised in France but there is a trend towards O.L.D. VAT and VAB use oxygen bottles as a supply while O.L.D. uses nitrogen extraction in 2 cases out of 3. These are preliminary results and it will be interesting to follow the outcome of these techniques of assisted ventilation in the home, so that there efficacy by gathering functional data (particularly blood gases) may be assessed and either the survival curves analysed or the time spent in hospital.