Noninvasive Ventilation Outside the Critical Care Unit

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) refers to the noninvasive delivery of mechanical ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) through the patient’s mouth, nose, or both via different external interfaces. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has found a wide application both in home care and in the hospital setting. However, most of the studies on the acute application of NIV were carried out in the intensive care unit (ICU), emergency room, or in step-down units. These locations represent an “ideal” environment for the safe treatment of patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory failure (potentially with need of airway intubation) for the expertise of the staff and careful monitoring. This article will review the use of NIV outside the critical care area.