For which home care patients requiring mechanical ventilation would you recommend a portable volume-cycled ventilator rather than a pressure-limited device?

1. Those with a neuromuscular or neurologic disorder
2. Those who cannot sustain any spontaneous breathing
3. Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2, and 3

ANS: A
Those with neuromuscular or neurologic disorders often favor the consistent high inflations pro-vided by volume ventilation, which enhance coughing and phonation. In addition, the alarm ca-pabilities and internal battery backup provided with current portable volume ventilators make them the best choice for patients who cannot sustain any spontaneous breathing.