Changes in the practice of non-invasive ventilation in treating COPD patients over 8 years

We reviewed data of 208 episodes of acute respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated by non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in our Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) from its opening in 1992 to 1999. We assessed whether the rate of NIV success, the severity of the disease, and the associated costs changed in this period during which the staff and the equipment did not change. The failure rate was constant over the years (17.2% on average). The severity of the episodes of ARF, defined by pH and APACHE II at admission, worsened during the years. The statistical change point test allowed us to identify 1997 as the year of a significant change in the severity of admission pH and therefore to identify two different periods: 1992-1996 (mean pH = 7.25+/-0.07) and 1997-1999 (7.20+/-0.08; P