Noninvasive Ventilation

The view on treatment of patients with severe respiratory disorders in general, and of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in particular, has changed during the past decades. The former, often nihilistic, approach has changed into an attitude towards more active engagement in, and treatment of, severely ill patients. In this context, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been brought into focus as a valuable alternative treatment, both in acute respiratory failure and chronic respiratory diseases. The growing interest in NIV has been reflected in the European Respiratory Mon.