Background: There is currently no standardisation to undergraduate or postgraduate teaching in the use of NIV in the UK. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey (see appendix) was handed out to all foundation doctors (year 1 and year 2) at Derbyshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between January 2008 and April 2008. NIV was provided in the emergency department, on the acute respiratory ward and ...

BACKGROUND Reports of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) use in clinical practice reveal higher mortality rates than in corresponding randomised clinical trials. AIM To explore factors related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admissions and NIV use that may explain some of the previously reported high mortality rates. METHODS National UK audit of clinical care of consecutive COPD...

BACKGROUND Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is a front-line therapy for the management of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the intensive care units. However, the data on factors and outcomes associated with the use of NIV in ARF patients is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to determine the utilization of NIV for ARF in a population-based study. METHODS We conducted a populated-based ret...

Non invasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be an effective therapy in selected patients with acute respiratory failure. Due to its benefit and relative ease of use, NIV is frequently used. In addition, the shortage and high cost of intensive care beds have prompted the use of NIV outside the intensive care unit. Choosing the right time and type of patient with acute respiratory failure to...

BACKGROUND Failure of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is common in patients with COPD admitted to the ICU for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). We aimed to assess the rate of NIV failure and to identify early predictors of intubation under NIV in patients admitted for AHRF of all origins in an experienced unit. METHODS This was an observational cohort study using data prospectively ...

BACKGROUND Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) improves survival and quality of life in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The timing of referral to a home ventilation service (HVS), which is in part based on respiratory function tests, has shown room for improvement. It is currently unknown which respiratory function test predicts an appropriate timing of the initiation of NIV. METHODS...

We read with great interest the paper by De Robertis and colleagues on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) published on the first issue of this Journal (1). The Authors discussed the rationale for an early NIV approach in non ICU settings and proposed organizational solutions to offer to a large population of patients NIV in a safe way under the supervision of a medical emergency team. In the last t...

Background: Long term non-invasive ventilation (NIV) reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with neuromuscular and chest wall disease with hypercapnic ventilatory failure, but preventive use has not produced benefit in normocapnic patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Individuals with nocturnal hypercapnia but daytime normocapnia were randomised to a control group or nocturnal NIV to ...

Nipah virus targets human endothelial cells via NiV-F and NiV-G envelope glycoproteins, resulting in endothelial syncytia formation and vascular compromise. Endothelial cells respond to viral infection by releasing innate immune effectors, including galectins, which are secreted proteins that bind to specific glycan ligands on cell surface glycoproteins. We demonstrate that galectin-1 reduces N...

Membrane fusion is essential for entry of the biomedically-important paramyxoviruses into their host cells (viral-cell fusion), and for syncytia formation (cell-cell fusion), often induced by paramyxoviral infections [e.g. those of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV)]. For most paramyxoviruses, membrane fusion requires two viral glycoproteins. Upon receptor binding, the attachment glycoprotein (HN/H/G...