Since the 1980s, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been a proven safe and effective treatment for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and for respiratory conditions that cause acute or chronic respiratory failure.
It’s called “non-invasive” because there’s no need for an “intubation,” a procedure where your physician inserts a tube through your mouth or nose to help you breathe.
Studies show that NIV reduces the risk of infection and complications of intubations, improves survival rates, and decreases the length of hospital stays in people with COPD.
Plus, NIV can be customized to your specific needs:
Have questions about NIV? Want to know more? You’ve come to the right place!
There are several different modes and types of non-invasive ventilation and they each play a key role in treating specific diseases. All NIV modes require a mask to deliver pressure. However, pressure setting limits, auto adjusting algorithms, daytime settings, and safety features is what differentiates Respiratory Assist Devices (RAD) and the NIV therapy you may have been prescribed. Your physician will prescribe the device that is best for your condition.
First let’s talk about the two modes and what they can do:
RAD (BiLevel or BiPAP™) with rate can be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory insufficiency caused by COPD. With RAD there are 2 set pressures. One pressure is set for when you breathe in (IPAP) and the other pressure is set to maintain as you breathe out (EPAP). These pressure settings can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood by allowing a deeper breath. Some RAD devices may also include target tidal volume settings.
NIV via Home Mechanical Ventilation is the other type of device used to treat respiratory insufficiency or failure caused by COPD. NIV with home mechanical ventilation is more advanced than RAD/BiLevel/BiPAP™. NIV will deliver a more customized treatment and allow your care team to optimize your therapy, whereas a RAD device may be more limited or restrictive, NIV offers settings and algorithms available to adjust to your ventilation needs.
You may have heard of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which is commonly used to treat sleep apnea.
Like BiLevel/RAD, and NIV, CPAP requires you to wear a mask attached to a machine. Unlike the other therapies, CPAP delivers a constant flow of air at one pressure setting as you inhale and exhale to keep airways open.
So every breath you take is completely dependent on your respiratory muscles and not the CPAP machine.
The purpose of both RAD and NIV is to help you use more of your lung capacity so you can take deeper breaths and breathe more easily.
The purpose of oxygen therapy (also called supplemental oxygen) is to deliver oxygen to your lungs and blood to help you perform daily activities.
NIV is administered by a specific NIV device. Oxygen therapy is delivered by one of the following:
Oxygen is generally delivered via a nasal cannula (a thin tube) inserted into your nostrils or a facemask.
Your doctor will prescribe a NIV device and therapy settings. Additional components include:
NIV is not a cure for COPD or other respiratory conditions, but it does offer a broad range of important health advantages:
For people with COPD and other respiratory conditions, non-invasive ventilation is often the treatment of choice by healthcare professionals.
At first, you may find adjusting to NIV challenging. But it helps if you begin slowly, using the machine for a few hours each day and then gradually increasing the time. Your doctor will guide you on the proper use of your device to get the best results from your therapy.
As a leader in respiratory care, Apria is available at any time to help with any questions!
References
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2. Gong Y, Sankari A. Noninvasive Ventilation. [Updated 2022 Dec 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK578188/.
3. Soo Hoo, GW. (Updated 2020, June 18). Noninvasive Ventilation. Medscape. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/304235-overview.
4. Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV). Indiana University Health. https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/niv.
5. Non Invasive Ventilation. Physiopedia. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Non_Invasive_Ventilation.
6. Landry, J. (Updated 2023, August 31). Noninvasive Ventilation: Overview and Practice Questions. Respiratory Therapy Zone. https://www.respiratorytherapyzone.com/noninvasive-ventilation/.
7. Hess DR. Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure. Respiratory Care. June 2013;58(6):950-972.
8. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Open Critical Care.
https://opencriticalcare.org/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-niv-nippv-cpap-and-bipap/.
9. Cheese, F. (2023, September 27). CPAP vs NIV (BiPAP). Geeky Medics. https://geekymedics.com/cpap-vs-niv-bipap/.
10. Non-Invasive Ventilation. Apria. https://www.apria.com/services/care-for-copd-and-breathing-problems/non-invasive-ventilation
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