Non-invasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure

Giant steps are what Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIMV) has taken in the last decades for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Failure. NIMV is safe and effective when applied early to carefully selected patients not meeting criteria for invasive ventilation. A well-fitting interface, close monitoring, coaching and clear information provided to patients, and a trained and skilled team available throughout the 24-h period are crucial factors to get to the best outcome, to reduce morbility and mortality associated to endotracheal intubation. Moving from the essential questions, in this review we focused on the key points to know and understand NIMV in some lights and shadows. What is NIMV and what do we mean speaking about NIMV? Which kind of NIMV is it suitable? Why NIMV works? Who is the right patient, and who is the right doctor, for NIMV? When to start NIMV? Where to perform NIMV? How to carry out NIMV? How long to go on with NIMV