Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major global health issue, with Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) being a key event linked to faster lung function deterioration, worsened health, and increased mortality. Effective management of COPD exacerbations is crucial to improve quality of life and minimize the disease's burden.
Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of NIV, delivered via a portable noninvasive ventilator, with standard therapy in patients hospitalized owing to AECOPD.
Patients and Methods: Seventy COPD patients who were hospitalized at Buraidah Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia, and were found to have AECOPD were included in this prospective cohort research. The conventional group and the NPPV group were the two groups into which the patients were split. The primary result was NIPPV failure; other outcomes were the number of hours spent using NIPPV, the length of time spent in the intensive care unit, the rate of death, and complications arising from the use of NIPPV.
Results: Most studied cases were males (86%) and the mean age of AECOPD patients was 61.08 years. The NPPV group showed significantly higher success rates (74%) than the standard group (54%). The main reason for NPPV failure was the deterioration of ABGs (33%), while the main complication of NPPV was facial skin abrasion (17%).
Conclusion: Finally, our findings show that NIV improves AECOPD respiratory metrics. When NIPPV is used as 1st line therapy for respiratory failure exacerbations, acidosis will be corrected quicker, intubation frequency will be lower, and mortality will decrease.