Long term ventilation (LTV)

Long-Term Ventilation refers to those patients who remain dependent on a ventilator (breathing machine) to help keep them alive. Over the past few decades, advances in medical treatment, along with the technology and support available, has meant that some of these children can now move away from a life spent in critical care, to a life at home. 

This type of ventilation that can be administered at home is delivered in one of two ways, invasively via a tracheostomy, or non-invasively via a face mask. This will be determined based on the child’s clinical need.

We know that being at home is better for a child’s development, therefore our aim is to give children the best chance to thrive, through spending time with their families, and enabling them to attend school/nursery where possible.

The process of initiating ventilation, and setting up a care package if required, can take some time and require a lengthy hospital stay. It is the aim of the children’s long-term ventilation (LTV) service and complex discharge team to coordinate a child’s discharge from hospital and provide a safe transition to home as soon as possible.

We work throughout the region providing professionals and families with practical, clinical and emotional support, along with education and training during the journey from hospital to home.

How the service works

The team here at Alder Hey consists of many different professionals.  We have included the details however you will meet many more along the way. You will be able to meet the main professionals involved every Monday and Thursday on the weekly ward rounds.

Education and training

It is essential that parents/guardians and professionals have access to high-quality and up-to-date education to ensure the safe transition of children with long-term ventilation needs from hospital to home. Alder Hey’s LTV team provides education and practical simulated training to parents and professionals caring for LTV children.

Our mission is to share our specialist expertise and help to make care in the community as safe as possible. This education programme is designed to improve the knowledge, confidence and competence of professionals and parents caring for children on long-term ventilation, particularly in understanding:

• the reasons for ventilation 
• assessing degrees of ventilator dependency 
• troubleshooting clinical or equipment problems 
• managing emergency scenarios

Conditions we treat

Long-term ventilation (LTV) team are involved with children who have problems with their breathing whether this is due to an airway abnormality or an underlying disease affecting the function of breathing. This can include primary lung diseases, problems with the central nervous system or muscle diseases to name a few.