ABSTRACT
Most patients, requiring ongoing ventilation, present either with an acute exacerbation experiencing an acute increase in symptoms, or through the gradual progression of their disease without any clearly detectable event. Hypercapnic ventilatory failure is the primary indication for mechanical ventilation as it reflects insufficiency of the ventilatory pump, or of ventilatory drive in coping with the ventilatory load. Hypoxia, consequent on underlying lung disease, may also contribute to ventilatory failure.
