Noninvasive mechanical ventilation on the ward for severe COPD: still unresolved question of balance among safety and drawbacks?

Angelo Petroianni,1 Antonio M Esquinas2 1Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Intensive Care and Noninvasive Ventilatory Unit, Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, SpainWe read with interest the study by Yalcinsoy et al1 appreciating its relevance and clinical practice value. In the last decades, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has revolutionized the management of acute respiratory failure (ARF) reducing the need for endotracheal intubation and its associated complications and also reducing the complications associated with a stay in the intensive care unit, the length of hospital stay, and mortality.2View the original paper by Yalcinsoy and colleagues.