Dreher - Figure 20
NIV Positive Pressure Ventilation to Treat Respiratory Failure Resulting from Exacerbations of COPD: Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Fig. 20: Several studies have found that the application of NIV in patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to COPD exacerbation avoids endotracheal intubation and reduces mortality. A Cochrane meta-analysis of data from these studies calculated that the number needed to treat (NNT) with NIV to avoid endotracheal intubation was 5 and to reduce mortality was 8.[7] [Updated in 2004 to NNT 4 and 10, respectively, by Ram et al.[8]]
References
Lightowler JV, Wedzicha JA, Elliott MW, Ram FS. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation to treat respiratory failure resulting from exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2003;326:185.
Ram FS, Picot J, Lightowler J, Wedzicha JA. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation for treatment of respiratory failure due to exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD004104.