Characteristics and outcomes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in acute respiratory failure not randomised and treated with iron lung ventilation (ILV) or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)
| ILV | IMV | |
| Patients n | 42# | 11 |
| M/F | 24/18 | 7/4 |
| Age yrs | 77.0±6.9 | 73.0±9.1 |
| Pa,O2/FI,O2 | 210.0±96.0 | 182±91 |
| Pa,CO2 kPa | 13.1±2.2 | 12.0±1.7 |
| pH | 7.21±0.04 | 7.22±0.03 |
| HCO3 mM | 38.0±13.0 | 39±8 |
| MRC dyspnoea scale | 4 (1–4) | 4 (2–4) |
| Glasgow Coma Score | 13 (3–15) | 15 (3–15) |
| SAPS II | 30 (16–40) | 29 (15–38) |
| Mortality rate % | 26 | 27.3 |
Data are presented as mean±sd or median (range) unless otherwise stated
M: male
F: female
Pa,O2: arterial oxygen tension
FI,O2: inspiratory oxygen fraction
Pa,CO2: arterial carbon dioxide tension
MRC: Medical Research Council
SAPS: simplified acute physiology score
#: nine patients (21.4%) required endotracheal intubation, two of these patients survived and seven died