Pneumologie
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Acute ventilatory insufficiency is characterized by hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis and secondary hypoxemia. The primary target of mechanical ventilation is improvement of alveolar ventilation, that means compensation of the ventilatory insufficiency. Noninvasive ventilation started as ventilatory support during the big polio epidemic, at that time in form of negative pressure ventilation. ⋯ Main indication is the hypercapnic ventilatory failure in acute exacerbation of COPD. This paper will discuss ventilator therapy in general but also the data regarding the role of NIV in the treatment of hypercapnic failure. Specific points like interfaces, indications and contraindications of NIV are addressed.