Supporti respiratori non invasivi nell’insufficienza respiratoria acuta: storia dell’arte.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) and non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS) can be counted among the cornerstones of modern medicine. These techniques have modified the prognosis and treatment of respiratory failure. Although references to respiratory assistance are common in the Bible, mechanical ventilators first appeared in the early 1800s as negative-pressure devices. During the polio epidemic in Denmark in 1952, there was a transition to invasive positive pressure ventilation. The diffusion of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation began in the 1980s, following the experience derived from the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. After this pioneering era NIRS, including high-flow oxygen therapy, have spread widely in clinical practice, with heterogeneous logistic and structural characteristics worldwide. The early use of NIRS in different settings has become a necessity and a crucial strategy for the treatment of Acute Respiratory failure COVID-19-related, showing increasing efficacy data, probably also due to the reduction of the use of invasive MV and related complications. This article reviews the history of respiratory supports in the treatment of respiratory failure; in particular highlight how the integration of physiology, medicine and technology have contributed to the development and advancement of NIRS in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]