Abstract
Educational aims
To present four innovative papers from the field on non-invasive ventilation published in 2004 and to discuss the important points and conclusions from each.
Summary This paper summarises the findings of four important papers that have been published over the last year.
The first paper reports data on the success rate of NIV in patients with early onset of ARF due to SARS. Furthermore, the paper discusses how NIV may be used in patients affected by highly contagious diseases in a way which is safe for healthcare workers.
The second paper concentrates on dying at end-stage disease and the limits of medical care. It studies the use of NIV treatment in patients with CHF and COPD affected by ARF who have signed a DNI order.
The next article investigates the use of both CPAP and NIV delivered by face mask in patients with CPE, when compared with the use of oxygen alone, and their effect on physiological parameters and avoiding intubation.
Finally, the last paper reviewed reports on the use of NIV to treat an episode of post-extubation respiratory failure in “unselected” patients.
This review article aims to keep the reader updated on the most recent and some of the important advancements in this field over the last year.
- ©ERS 2005
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