The Present Status of IPPB Therapy

Abstract

For more than 25 years, intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) for certain clinical conditions other than apnea has been utilized. For those who use it extensively the argument goes something like this: IPPB is an extremely useful therapeutic approach for the patient who is unable to take deep enough breaths, for the patient requiring aerosol medication to be carried deep into his tracheobronchial tree, and for the patient who has difficulty coordinating spontaneous breathing. For the skeptical, the argument is quite different: IPPB is an overused therapeutic approach created by the American belief in the superiority of machines, encouraged by the recent fervor for paramedical aid—all compounded with organized nursing’s flight from the bedside—and perpetuated with total cooperation from hospital administrators aided by third party financial support. Does the correct approach lie somewhere in between?