title: [Non invasive ventilation in acute hypercapnic exacerbations from COPD].
abstract: Bed limitations and financial constraints can affect patients admission with acute hypercapnic decompensation of COPD in critical care setting. The goal of our study was to evaluate non invasive ventilation efficiency performed outside ICU and to compare our result with those from published studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  49 patients with well known COPD were ventilated by VPAP III ST-A, ResMed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a mean age of 72.1 years and male predominance, we obtained a rate of success of 85.72% with a mean time of ventilation of 63.63-26.04 hours. The risk of failure was 5 times much greater for the patients with pH < or = 7.25, the predictive positive value was of 83.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study proved the value of non invasive positive pressure ventilation in hypercapnic exacerbation of COPD with improved in acidosis, hypercapnia, and altered level of consciousness. The result of our study are similar with those from published literature.
authors.affiliation: Universitatea de Medicină si Farmacie Gr. T Popa, Iaşi. criselend@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Elena Cristina
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Mitrofan
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steciu
authors.forename: Gianina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rusu
mesh_terms: D000142:Acidosis, Respiratory / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008448:Maximal Expiratory Flow Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013147:Spirometry; D016896:Treatment Outcome