Non-invasive ventilation in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Results from an anonymous survey of physicians.

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an evidence-based treatment modality for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). It has been shown to reduce mortality, in-hospital complications, length of stay and is cost effective compared to invasive ventilation. Despite this, data from UK has shown higher mortality and a wide variation in practice in the use of NIV in AHRF. …