II. Contraindications
- See Advanced Airway Indications
-
Respiratory Failure or apnea
- Cardiopulmonary Arrest
- Comatose patient
- Airway protection
- Status Epilepticus
- Upper airway tenuous with risk of complete obstruction
- Uncontrolled Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Intractable Emesis
- Facial Trauma, Burn Injury or recent surgery
- Other factors
- Uncooperative or Agitated Patient despite anxiolysis
- Patient unable to synchronize with BIPAP delivered breaths
- Hemodynamic instability
III. Indications
- See Endotracheal Intubation Preoxygenation
- Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure or Inadequate oxygenation (CPAP or BIPAP)
- Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema
- Congestive Heart Failure exacerbations
- Hypercarbic Respiratory Failure or Inadequate ventilation (BIPAP)
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease exacerbations
-
Immunocompromised patients
- Early initiation of Noninvasive Ventilation reduces intubation risk
- Non-intubated Immunocompromised patients have lower mortality
- Related to risk of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
- Other indications with mixed efficacy or inadequate studies
- Asthma
- Pneumonia (including mild to moderate pneumocystis Pneumonia)
- Acute Lung Injury (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
- Thoracic Trauma
- Cystic Fibrosis associated Respiratory Failure
IV. Precautions
- Start Noninvasive Ventilation early, before severe respiratory Fatigue occurs
- When starting Supplemental Oxygen, consider whether Noninvasive Ventilation would be a better choice
- Prepare the machine in advance of patient arrival (e.g. EMS radio report)
- Plug in the Bipap or Cpap machine
- Attach to wall oxygen
- Attach mask to machine
- Set initial FIO2 to 100%
- Set initial Inspiratory pressure (IPAP) to 10-15 H2O, and expiratory pressure (EPAP) to 5 H2O
V. Physiology
- Pressures required to allow inspiration must equal the airway pressures to overcome
- Ventilator pressures (CPAP, BIPAP) allow for lower respiratory Muscle pressures (work of breathing)
- Pressures required to allow inspiration
- Respiratory Muscle Pressures or work of breathing (pMuscle)
- Ventilator pressures (pApplied)
- Airway pressures to overcome
- Airway elastance with a predilection for airway collapse (pElastance)
- Airway resistance such as that due to bronchospasm or inflammation (pResistance)
- Airway impedance to flow from other factors such as anatomy in Sleep Apnea (pThreshold)
- Positive Airway Pressures
- Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) or Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)
- Maintains open airways to provide oxygenation
- CPAP only supplies continuous pressure at this level
- BIPAP provides this pressure between ventilations
- Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure (IPAP)
- Pressure Support Ventilation during inspiration provides a Tidal Volume (IPAP-EPAP) and clears CO2
- BIPAP provides this pressure during ventilations
- Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) or Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)
VI. Adverse Effects
- Gastric insufflation
- Increases work of breathing (against a distended Stomach)
- Risk of Vomiting and aspiration
- Abdominal Compartment Syndrome is a rare associated complication
- Avoid BIPAP inspiratory pressures >20 cm H2O
- Mask malplacement effects
- Nasal or facial ulcerations
- Decreased Cardiac Output
- Results from decreased Preload related to increased intrathoracic pressure
- Manage with increased fluid Resuscitation
-
Barotrauma
- Pneumothorax may occur at higher pressures
VII. Management: Approach to Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation Selection
- Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure (Inadequate oxygenation)
- Concepts
- Increase oxygen delivered to the lung (FIO2) or
- Increase mean airway pressure (or Positive End-Expiratory Pressure, PEEP)
- Interventions
- Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP)
- High Humidity High Flow Nasal Oxygen (HHFNC)
- In practice, BIPAP is often used in these cases
- Monitoring
- Pulse Oximetry (preferred, reflects Oxygen Delivery to tissue)
- ABG with pO2
- Targets
- Target 90-96% Oxygen Saturation (88-92% in COPD and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome)
- Conditions
- Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema
- Congestive Heart Failure exacerbations
- Maximum CPAP settings above which intubation should be considered (see below)
- Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) > 12-15 cm H2O
- Delivered FIO2 >60%
- Concepts
- Hypercarbic Respiratory Failure (Inadequate ventilation)
- Concepts
- Minute Ventilation = TV * RR
- Increase Tidal Volume (TV) or
- Increase Respiratory Rate (RR)
- Interventions
- Monitoring
- ABG or VBG (pH and pCO2)
- etCO2
- Targets
- Do not attempt to fix acid-base abnormalities initially (Permissive hypercapnea is preferred)
- Allow a wider range of pH (7.2 to 7.5) in most patients
- Maintain normal pCO2 (35-45 mmHg) in Increased Intracranial Pressure, pregnancy, severe Pulmonary Hypertension
- Conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease exacerbations
- BIPAP may be used for any of the Hypoxemia cases as well instead of CPAP
- Includes CHF (without increased risk of Myocardial Infarction)
- Vital (2013) Cochrane Database Syst Rev 5:CD005351 +PMID:18646124 [PubMed]
- Concepts
- References
- Mallemat and Runde in Herbert (2015) EM:Rap 15(2): 7-8
- Internet Book of Critical Care (EMCRIT.org)
VIII. Protocol: Indications for intubation (failed Noninvasive Ventilation)
- See Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP) for re-evaluation based on ABG criteria
- Based on re-evaluation clinical criteria including Arterial Blood Gas at 1-2 hours and at 4-6 hours
- Major Criteria (based on COPD cohort)
- See Advanced Airway indications
- Respiratory arrest (despite noninvasive Ventilator back-up rate)
- Gasping for air
- Loss of consciousness with respiratory pauses
- Agitation requiring sedation
- Heart Rate <50 bpm and loss of alertness
- Hemodynamic instability with systolic Blood Pressure <70 mmHg
- Minor Criteria (2 of the following, based on COPD cohort)
- Respiratory Rate >35 breaths/minute (at any time)
- Respiratory Rate >20-25/minute (after one hour of Noninvasive Ventilation)
- pH <7.30 and decreased from onset
- PaO2 <45 mmHg despite Supplemental Oxygen
- Decreased Level of Consciousness or worsening encephalopathy
- References
- Hoo (2012) Noninvasive Ventilation, Medscape EMedicine,
IX. References
- Martin and Hall (2015) Crit Dec Emerg Med 29(2): 11-8
- (2016) Mechanical Ventilation, Fundamental Critical Care Support, SCCM, p. 61-92