Over the last two decades the increasing use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has reduced the
need for endotracheal ventilation thus decreasing the rate of ventilation-induced
complications. Thus NIV has decreased both intubation rates and mortality rates in specific
subsets of patients with acute respiratory failure (for example patients with hypercapnia
cardiogenic pulmonary edema immune deficiencies or post-transplantation acute respiratory
failure). Despite the increased use of NIV in clinical practice there is still a need for more
educational tools to improve clinicians knowledge of the indications and contraindications for
NIV the factors that predict failure or success and also what should be considered when
starting NIV. This book has the dual function of being a classical text where the major
findings in the literature are discussed and highlighted as well as a practical manual on the
tricks and pitfalls to consider in NIV application by both beginners and experts. For example
setting the ventilatory parameters choosing the interfaces circuits and humidification
systems monitoring and the right environment for the right patient will be discussed to help
clinicians in their choices.
