Non.invasive ventilation for adult acute respiratory failure. Part I.

OBJECTIVE To detail the history, modes, physiological effects, and circuit geometry of non-invasive ventilation. DATA SOURCES A review of articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 1966 to 1998 and identified through a MEDLINE search on non-invasive ventilation. SUMMARY OF REVIEW Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been used for many years as an adjunct to standard therapy in patients with acute and chronic respiratory disorders. The newer modes of NIV which include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), pressure support ventilation (PSV), BiPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) and controlled and assisted modes of intermittent non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) have additional advantages and are often used routinely in many respiratory diseases. These modes of ventilatory support have been found to improve arterial oxygenation, ventilation, work of breathing, and cardiac function, in patients with respiratory failure, although in normal subjects, respiration is often impaired.. CONCLUSIONS Non-invasive ventilation using the modes of CPAP, PSV, BiPAP and NIPPV should be considered in patients with respiratory failure who are unresponsive to conventional therapy, before considering invasive mechanical ventilation.