The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared ResMed’s home variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) device, also known as bilevel PAP, for the treatment of respiratory disorders such as COPD, giving severe COPD sufferers a weapon in the fight to stay out of the hospital. The ResMed VPAP COPD device will be sold in the United States, and because of the FDA’s clearance for the treatment of COPD, it will make bilevel therapy more accessible through Medicare’s Respiratory Assist Device qualifying guidelines.
“Many stage 3 or stage 4 COPD patients are admitted to the hospital two to three times a year because of their condition, and hospital discharge planners need ways to reduce that figure with better at-home respiratory care,” said Geoff Neilson, president of ResMed’s Respiratory Care business unit. “Minimizing the likelihood of acute events that lead to readmissions starts at the point of discharge, sending patients home with the best tools like ResMed’s VPAP COPD to help them breathe better when their lungs have been damaged by the disease.”
The ResMed VPAP COPD is used at night, which helps ensure that COPD patients maintain their ventilation when they are most vulnerable. It customizes the breath delivered to the patient with a rapid inhalation phase and allows an extended exhalation. This can help overcome air trapping that is common in COPD patients, enabling better gas exchange in their lungs.
Built on the popular ResMed S9 Series platform, the VPAP COPD device is compact and easy for a patient to integrate into a sleep setting. Combined with the companion H5i heated humidification device, the VPAP COPD creates a comfortable patient experience, increasing the likelihood of patients continuing their therapy.
