British Thoracic Society Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults.

Introduction: The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in adults together with measurable markers of good practice.

Methods: Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards.

Results: 6 quality statements have been developed, each describing a standard of care for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice.

Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation in Acute Ventilatory Failure: Rationale and Current Applications.

Noninvasive ventilation plays a pivotal role in acute ventilator failure and has been shown, in certain disease processes such as acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to prevent and shorten the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, reducing the risks and complications associated with it. The application of noninvasive ventilation is relatively simple and well tolerated by patients and in the right setting can change the course of their illness.