Non-invasive ventilation refers to the technique of providing ventilatory support to a patient without an endo/orotracheal airway. It is a promising and rapidly upcoming new technique and is being used as first line therapy in a wide variety of conditions causing respiratory failure. The major indications for its use include respiratory failure due to a variety of causes (chest wall abnormaliti...

BACKGROUND Non-invasive ventilation can prevent respiratory failure after extubation in individuals at increased risk of this complication, and enhanced survival in patients with hypercapnia has been recorded. We aimed to assess prospectively the effectiveness of non-invasive ventilation after extubation in patients with hypercapnia and as rescue therapy when respiratory failure develops. MET...

During noninvasive bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) ventilation it is found that several times patients are unable to maintain oxygen saturation and develop breathing difficulty despite its high setting and high oxygen flow, further management requires invasive positive pressure mechanical ventilation. Increasing oxygen concentration inside the BiPAP mask using nasal cannula with additi...

Respiratory failure is the leading reason for the admission of children to intensive care units, and the ventilator is the main therapeutic tool used during the treatment of these patients. A competently used ventilator and adequate knowledge of the anatomy, histology and physiology of the respiratory system in particular age groups of children (especially among neonates and infants) are crucia...

Respiratory support is an essential part of care during clinical course of premature infants. Despite the wide-spread use of non-invasive modes of ventilation today the most vulnerable extremely premature infants are still likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation. Multiple studies have been published addressing advantages and disadvantages of various modes of ventilation in neonates. I...

OBJECTIVE To summarise the evidence for early extubation with immediate application of non-invasive ventilation compared with continued invasive weaning on important outcomes in intubated adults with respiratory failure. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials. SETTING Intensive care units. PARTICIPANTS Critically ill adults receivin...