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Mechanical ventilation helps children with certain conditions breathe and get enough oxygen. The pediatric Home Mechanical Ventilation Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of the largest and most experienced in the world. We provide advanced breathing support for hundreds of children every year.
Dedicated home mechanical ventilation services are a specialized pulmonology offering at CHLA. U.S. News & World Report ranks our pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine services among the country’s best.
Our Home Mechanical Ventilation Program offers:
Mechanical ventilation supports your child’s lungs and breathing. A ventilator system (also called a respirator or breathing machine) sends air directly into your child’s airways and lungs. Air travels from the ventilator to a tube that goes into a surgically created hole (tracheostomy) in your child’s windpipe. Some children get air through a face mask or nasal cannula (flexible tube in the nose) and don’t need a tracheostomy.
Mechanical ventilation:
Your child may need mechanical ventilation support all day or only at night when they sleep. Our team will discuss your child’s options with you.
We also provide expert care for children who use other types of breathing support, either along with or instead of mechanical ventilation. These include:
Diaphragm pacing helps children born with a rare genetic condition called congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). A portable pacemaker device sends electrical impulses to tiny transmitters (electrodes) surgically attached to nerves that control breathing.
Children with CCHS need 24/7 breathing support. Some children who get diaphragm pacing only need mechanical breathing support when they sleep. Learn more about our CCHS and Diaphragm Pacing Program.
Positive airway pressure (PAP) is a type of noninvasive mechanical ventilation. Your child breathes through a face mask that connects via a tube to a PAP machine. The device delivers air at a controlled pressure that keeps the airways open while your child sleeps.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) support nighttime breathing in children who have sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea. This condition causes short pauses in breathing. Some children with CCHS who use diaphragm pacing may be able to use PAP at night instead of a home ventilator.
Our nationally accredited pediatric Sleep Center has a dedicated PAP Clinic for children using this form of breathing support.
Children at risk for respiratory failure need breathing support. A child with respiratory failure can’t maintain healthy oxygen or carbon dioxide levels. Many conditions can cause respiratory failure, including:
Advancements in mechanical ventilation systems make it possible for your child to leave the hospital and receive at-home breathing support so they can fully participate in family activities. Your child must be medically stable with no changes to their treatment for one to two weeks before they can go home on a ventilator.
We understand that caring for a child on a ventilator may seem daunting. A team of experts at our Home Mechanical Ventilation Program provide comprehensive education and training. We make sure you have the knowledge, support and training to confidently care for your child at home.
Before your child can leave the hospital and make the transition to home ventilation, two caregivers must successfully complete our in-hospital training. This training ensures you know how to care for your child, understand how to use the ventilator and can respond appropriately to emergencies.
Our team provides hands-on instruction using mannequins and other teaching tools. During in-hospital training, two caregivers:
We work closely with medical equipment companies and home health care providers to ensure you have the supplies and resources you need to care for your child at home. An expert from our team is available 24/7 to answer questions and provide support.
When you get home, you can expect these steps:
Your child receives coordinated care from a team of medical experts. In addition to pulmonologists and respiratory care practitioners, your child’s care team may include:
Other care team members may include:
Our expert team of pulmonology and sleep medicine specialists diagnoses and manages all types of breathing, lung and sleep issues in children. Learn more about our leading-edge Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine services.
Pulmonology and sleep medicine experts at CHLA welcome new patients, referrals and second opinions. Please contact us: