Previous reports of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation(NPPV) in asthmatic patients
| First author [Ref.] | Type of study | Patients n | Study design | Mode of ventilatory support/duration of application | Outcome |
| Meduri [44] | Prospective observational | 17 | A report of 17 episodes of status asthmaticus treated with NPPV over 3 yrs | CPAP mask with pressure support using commercial ventilator for 16 h | NPPV improved gas exchange in status asthmaticus |
| Fernandez [45] | Retrospective observational | 33 | Retrospecrive comparison of 22 patients treated with NPPV versus 11 patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation | CPAP with or without pressure support, using commercial ventilators for 12 h | Improved gas exchange in both groups, with the possibility of prevented endotracheal intubation in NPPV group |
| Soroksky [46] | Prospective, randomised, sham controlled | 30 | 15 patients on BiPAP compared with sham BiPAP with standard treatment | BiPAP circuit for 3 h | Improved FEV1 and decreased hospitalisation rate in NPPV group |
| Soma [47] | Prospective randomised | 44 | Prospective comparison of low- and high-pressure groups to standard medical group | BiPAP circuit for 1 h | Improved FEV1 with increasing pressure support |
BiPAP: bilevel positive airway pressure; CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s.