ABSTRACT
This chapter will explain the principles of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), why it is used and the types of patients it should be considered for. NIV is an important treatment method in respiratory failure. It delivers intermittent positive airway pressure, which gives the patient ventilatory support using either a facemask or a nasal mask and may avoid intubation with an endotracheal tube and invasive ventilation (Halpin, 2003). In patients who have NIV started appropriately and timely there is less need for intubation and mortality rates are reduced (Halpin, 2003). The British Thoracic Society (BTS) published guidance in conjunction with the Intensive Care Society and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) on the management of patients with Type 2
respiratory failure and these guidelines will provide readers with further information (Royal College of Physicians [RCP] et al., 2008). In 2016 the BTS and Intensive Care Society published guidelines for the ventilatory management of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in adults (Davidson et al., 2016).
