LAUSR

Introduction : Motor Neurone Disease (MND) results in respiratory muscle weakness and respiratory failure (RF) with major consequences on quality of life and survival, both of which can be improved with Non-invasive Ventilation (NIV)[1,2]. Aim: to evaluate current practice in the WoSLTVU. Methods : Retrospective audit from 2010-2013. Data collected from electronic records:presence of RF, age, sex, length of survival from diagnosis, NIV use. Results : 99 patients referred: 35 had RF at first WoSLTVU review and 14 developed RF during follow-up. Survival range:34 – 1432 days. 6 RF patients did not get NIV; 4/6 declined after in-patient trial. Conclusions : Referrals to WoSLTVU have increased significantly. NIV lengthened survival by 11 months, in agreement with previous audit data. Sample size is too small to determine if early referral improves survival, however qualitative analysis is on-going to investigate possible quality of life benefits. References 1. Bourke SC, Tomlinson M, Williams TL et al . Effects of non-invasive ventilation on survival and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2006 Feb;5(2):140-147. 2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2010) Motor neurone disease. The use of non-invasive ventilation in the management of motor neurone disease. CG105. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.