Medicine
Non-Invasive Ventilation for Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure
Quick fact
NIV can reduce the need for intubation by up to 50% in selected patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, and it significantly lowers mortality in these patients.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you’re struggling to breathe, and instead of a tube down your throat, doctors place a mask on your face and the simple act of breathing gets easier. Why can a mask sometimes be enough to save a life?