The many pros and the few cons of noninvasive ventilation in ordinary wards.

Traditionally, patients affected by acute respiratory failure (ARF) were (and commonly still are) admitted to intensive care unit if they required noninvasive ventilation (NIV) [1]. More than ten years ago, a pilot study reported the introduction of NIV in a Canadian hospital outside of a critical care setting [2]. NIV could be prescribed by every physician, in every ordinary ward, without a preliminary training and with no protocol in place. The failure; Ordinary ward; Intensive care unit