Module 2: Breathing with

What is LTMV?

LTMV stands for long-term mechanical ventilation.

This treatment takes into use mechanical assistive devices to ensure that the body can breathe if someone is unable to adequately breathe independently. It was previously called home ventilator therapy. Vanja’s mother tells her story:

What the National Professional Guidelines for LTMV say:

LTMV therapy is offered to a group of patients with chronic respiratory failure primarily cause by reduced power or impaired regulation of breathing. LTMV aims to increase the lifespan and/or improve the quality of life of patients.

After an initial assessment and start-up phase in hospital, LTMV is given in patients’ homes. Professional assessments will primarily be carried out by the specialist health service. Municipalities in cooperation with patients and close relatives are primarily responsible for adapting the execution of therapy outside hospital.

In terms of the execution of LTMV, the needs of patients vary. Approximately 10 per cent of the patients need around the clock assistance. For patients with a serious and possible progressive primary disease, an in-depth ethical and professional assessment will be required to determine whether LTMV should be started.

The guidelines aim to contribute towards:

providing a service based on equality, regardless of age, sex, domicile, socioeconomic status or ethnic origin, as well as
uniform and quality patient care.

Read more about the national guidelines for LTMV here:

Three LTMV users

We have interviewed three LTMV users to tell us how they feel about living with assistive respiratory devices. The user experiences might help you if you use an assistive respiratory device of know of someone who does or if you are employed as an assistant for such a user. It might be relevant if you are training to be a health professional or will soon be working for an LMTV user as an assistant. Or maybe you just want to learn more about this topic?

Often it is important to listen to the stories of those who need LTMV to gain a better understanding of how they feel about their situation. In the first part of the course, Living with the situation, you will meet Jørgen, Vanja and Øyvind, who live with respiratory support. You will also meet them later in the course.