Abstract
Introduction
Despite there is no recommendation on the routine use of domiciliary NIV for severe COPD patients, COPD is a rather common indication.
Aim
To examine patterns of domiciliary NIV use in severe stable COPD patients among European physicians.
Methods
We conducted a web survey of European physicians.
Results
206/495 (41.6%) physicians responded to the survey; 70% of the respondents reported > 15 new NIV prescription/year and 96.6% stated that prescription rate for COPD patients was 37.2%, with a heterogeneous distribution among countries
. Reduction of hospital admission and exacerbations' frequency, quality of life, dyspnea and gas exchange improvement were considered the main expected benefits for patients; sleep assessment was the principal procedure performed before NIV initiation. Factors considered important to start chronic NIV were recurrent episodes of acute respiratory failure requiring NIV and failure to wean from NIV. Pressure support mode (PSV) was the most used mode: "low" intensity settings were the most popular (46.4%±30.1), followed by "high" intensity ones (26.9%±25.9).The oro-nasal and nasal interfaces were almost equally prescribed.
Conclusions
Recurrent exacerbations and failure to wean from NIV were the determinants to start domiciliary NIV. PSV was the preferred mode of physicians surveyed. Nasal and oro-nasal masks were both highly prescribed.
- © 2014 ERS
