Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation

Patients with respiratory distress and respiratory failure presenting to the emergency department provide a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Developing technologies in noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) have improved the ability to administer significant respiratory support to these patients. Research and protocols for NIPPV are expanding in adult medicine but are only slowly increasing in pediatrics. NIPPV has successfully been used for obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and neuromuscular disorders in both acute and chronic settings. Early administration of this support may benefit patients presenting to emergency departments by improving oxygenation, ventilation, and muscle fatigue; avoiding short- and long-term complications of invasive mechanical ventilation; and improving patient outcomes.