Background/Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which respiratory failure is the leading cause of death. Mechanical ventilation improves both survival and quality of life; however, the prognostic implications of built-in ventilator software monitoring remain insufficiently characterized. The aim of the study was to determine whether built-in ventilator software-based monitoring is associated with enhanced survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis subjects. Methods: Cohort study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis subjects, stratified into two groups: those monitored through detailed built-in ventilator software and those not monitored. Clinical and ventilatory data were systematically evaluated during a 24-month follow-up. Results: Among 120 ALS subjects (57 detailed built-in ventilator software, 63 non-detailed ventilator software), median survival from diagnosis was significantly longer in the detailed built-in ventilator software group (3.42 vs. 2.12 years; p < 0.001). Survival from mechanical ventilation initiation was also significantly longer in the built-in ventilator software group (2.79 years vs. 0.78 years). Greater daily mechanical ventilation usage was associated with shorter survival (p < 0.003). Paradoxically, subjects with the lowest proportion of spontaneous inspirations exhibited superior survival outcomes (p = 0.04). Neither persistent leaks nor asynchronies were independently predictive of survival. Conclusions: BVS-monitoring was associated with improved survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis subjects receiving home mechanical ventilation. Its integration into clinical practice may enable timely, data-driven ventilatory adjustments, ultimately contributing to more individualized and optimized patient management.
Hernández-Voth et al. (Sat,) studied this question.