Non-invasive ventilation: From the past to the present

Insights into the evolution of mechanical ventilation may be a useful starting point for further discussion of the current use and future directions of this therapy. The history of non-invasive (NIV) and of invasive mechanical (IMV) ventilation are intimately intertwined. The methods to deliver mechanical ventilation were initially described in the early twentieth century, and three main periods in the history of mechanical ventilation can be distinguished (Tables 1.1 and 1.2).