title: Early prehospital use of non-invasive ventilation improves acute respiratory failure in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of prehospital non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  36 adult patients were treated by prehospital NIV or standard oxygen therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prehospital NIV was described as feasible by the paramedics. Prehospital improvement of respiratory rate and dyspnoea was significantly better and the length of intensive care was significantly lower in NIV patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prehospital NIV can be managed by a trained emergency team with high but sustainable workload. Dyspnoea and length of intensive care may be significantly reduced.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN47620321.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmidbauer
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ahlers
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spies
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mager
authors.forename: Thoralf
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000628:therapy; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*