Non-invasive ventilation (NIV)

Patients admitted to hospital with severe breathing difficulties, for example from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may need to wear a special mask, which is attached to a small machine, called a non-invasive ventilator.

By supporting their breathing, this treatment should make patients feel better and enables us to care for them on our respiratory ward rather than in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Patients requiring NIV will be seen by one of our trained physiotherapists who will set-up the equipment and explain what the treatment involves. The NIV is usually used for the first few days of the patient’s stay in hospital.