Methodology of Non-invasive Mechanical Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Failure

Abstract

The term acute respiratory failure refers to a severe deterioration in gas exchange that may require mechanical ventilation for life support. Instituted when conservative treatment fails, mechanical ventilation aims to correct the pathophysiology of acute respiratory failure and gas exchange abnormalities, reduce the work of breathing (WOB), and ameliorate dyspnea, while concomitant pharmacologic intervention is directed at correcting the condition that resulted in acute respiratory failure. The delivery of positive pressure ventilation (PPV) from the ventilator to the patient’s lungs requires the presence of an interface. Traditionally, an endotracheal (ET) tube is inserted into the trachea to deliver PPV. Endotracheal intubation is an invasive procedure associated with potential complications and discomfort and has confined the use of mechanical ventilation to the most severe forms of acute respiratory failure.