Case Studies
Case studies, though anecdotal, have significant external validity and contribute important information about the potential of a therapy to benefit individual patients and patient populations not amenable to more rigorously designed studies. The following case studies illustrate clinical indications for use of The Vest® Airway Clearance System, its economic and quality of life implications and its potential for broader use.
- Cerebral Palsy with Acute Aspiration Pneumonitis - Tom Hall (employed by Hill-Rom)
- With use of The Vest® System, a 24-year-old patient with cerebral palsy improves from critical respiratory illness — status-DNR — to full recovery and discharge.
- COPD with Chronic Bronchitis and Bronchiectasis - Karen Conyers (employed by Hill-Rom)
- Using The Vest® System, a patient with advanced COPD achieves and sustains significant improvements in general and respiratory health, functional status, and quality of life.
- Cystic Fibrosis with Severe Atelectasis - Linda Cherek (employed by Hill-Rom)
- After beginning therapy with The Vest® System, a 10-year-old cystic fibrosis patient transitions from rapidly declining respiratory status and impending hospice care to dramatic resolution atelectasis and pulmonary symptoms, sustained improvement, and full resumption of childhood activities.
- Muscular Dystrophy and Congenital Myopathy with Respiratory Insufficiency Pneumonia - Tom Hall (employed by Hill-Rom)
- After chest physiotherapy treatments (CPT) fail for a muscular dystrophy patient critically ill with pneumonia, treatment with The Vest® System is followed by rapid improvement, discharge from ICU to a general ward, and then home.
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Atelectasis - Tom Hall (employed by Hill-Rom)
- A nine-year-old spinal muscular atrophy patient in failing health achieves sustained clinical improvement and significant quality-of-life gains after initiation of The Vest® System.