• Karen Ward, Verity Ford, Helen Ashcroft, and Robert Parker.
• Liverpool Centre for Sleep and Ventilation, Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.
• BMJ Case Rep. 2015 Jan 1; 2015.

AbstractA 53-year-old woman with spinal muscular atrophy and a 7-year history of nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) use via nasal mask and chinstrap was admitted electively. Outpatient review suggested symptomatic hypercapnia and hypoxaemia. Use of her usual NIV resulted in early morning respiratory acidosis due to excess mouth leak, and continuous face mask NIV was instigated while in hospital. Once stabilised, she elected to return to nasal ventilation. At outpatient review, respiratory acidosis reoccurred despite diurnal use of NIV. Using the patient's routine ventilator and a novel mouthpiece and trigger algorithm, intermittent daytime mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) was introduced alongside overnight NIV. Control of respiratory failure was achieved and, vitally, independent living maintained. Intermittent MPV was practicable and effective where the limits of ventilator tolerance had otherwise been reached. MPV may reduce the need for tracheostomy ventilation and this case serves as a reminder of the increasing options routinely available to NIV clinicians.2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

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