what types of illnesses could involve an adult being placed on a
respirator for long-term, at-home care?

Hi, razor616 !


The American Association for Respiratory Care

http://www.aarc.org/patient_education/tips/homeox.html

states:

"More and more people are using oxygen therapy outside the hospital,
permitting them to lead active, productive lives. People with asthma,
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, occupational lung disease, lung cancer,
cystic fibrosis, or congestive heart failure may use oxygen therapy at
home...

A physician must write a prescription for oxygen therapy. The
prescription will spell out the flow rate, how much oxygen you need
per minute -- referred to as liters per minute (LPM or L/M) -- and
when you need to use oxygen. Some people use oxygen therapy only while
exercising, others only while sleeping, and still others need oxygen
continuously. Your physician will order a blood test that will
indicate what your oxygen level is and help determine what your needs
are...

There are three common ways of providing oxygen therapy. Oxygen can be
delivered to your home in the form of a gas in various-sized cylinders
or as a liquid in a vessel. The third way to provide oxygen therapy is
by using an oxygen concentrator."

They go on to more detail on equipment, equipment care and safety
precautions.


More advice from the same Associationis at:

http://www.aarc.org/patient_education/tips/home.html



The Medline Plus site has a wealth of general information about
respiratory diseases and their management at:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/respiratorydiseasesgeneral.html#diseasemanagement


Good luck.

i can't believe i did all that searching and forgot entirely about medline!
thanks for the info.