This article provides a systematic review of the literature on the application of noninvasive ventilation in various forms of hypercapnic and hypoxemic respiratory failures. A description of the underlying pathophysiology is followed by a review of physiologic data explaining the mechanisms of action of noninvasive ventilation. A critical review of clinical studies is presented with specific su...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of continuous noninvasive mechanical ventilation and mechanical coughing aids to avoid endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy during episodes of acute respiratory failure in patients with neuromuscular disease. DESIGN We conducted a prospective cohort study at the respiratory medicine ward of a university hospital to study the success rate of the use of ...

Eight patients suffering various causes of transient postoperative respiratory failure in the postanesthesia care unit were treated with short-term noninvasive pressure-support ventilation administered through a tight-fitting face mask. Intubation was avoided in all of them, and no complications were observed, as assessed by the treating anesthesiologist and from review of their charts. Indicat...

During noninvasive ventilation it is reasonable to try to abolish clinically apparent patient-ventilator asynchronies but the use of more invasive tests to detect subtle asynchronies cannot be justified http://ow.ly/rXoA30gCm8O.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with hematological disease admitted to the intensive care unit and the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation in a subgroup with respiratory dysfunction. METHODS A retrospective observational study from September 2011 to January 2014. RESULTS Overall, 157 patients were included. The mean age was 45.13 (± 17.2) years and 46.5%...

We saw a patient who presented with carbon dioxide narcosis and acute respiratory failure due to an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We intubated and 12 hours later he had recovered consciousness and could cooperate with noninvasive ventilation, at which point we extubated and used a helmet to provide noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in assist/control mode, and th...

We saw a patient who presented with carbon dioxide narcosis and acute respiratory failure due to an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We intubated and 12 hours later he had recovered consciousness and could cooperate with noninvasive ventilation, at which point we extubated and used a helmet to provide noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in assist/control mode, and th...