Risk Factors of Non-Invasive Ventilation Failure in COPD Patients Presenting with Acute Exacerbation

Background: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is the first-line management for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), but some patients don’t improve and need invasive ventilation, leading to high mortality. We conducted a study to determine risk factors associated with NIV outcomes in these patients. Identifying predictive parameters of NIV failure could help timely intervention and prevent mortality. Methods: A Quasi Single Arm study was conducted at a tertiary care Hospital, in Karachi, from July to December 2022. We studied 170 COPD patients admitted to Medicine Department and Medical ICU with acute respiratory failure, among those 170 patients 80 were male and 90 were female, aged above 40 and below 80 years. Results: Among 170 AECOPD patients studied, 38% experienced NIV failure, while 61% had NIV success. In the NIV failure group, 38.46% of patients died in hospital. Most factors like quadrant infiltrate, weak cough reflex, low consciousness level, more requirements of oxygen, low pH, more respiratory rate, and positive blood cultures (p-value <0.001) were significantly associated with NIV failure and mortality, while others with no significant association still contributed towards NIV failure, like co-morbidities. Out of the 66 patients with NIV failure, 56% experienced immediate failure, 33% had early NIV failure, and 11% had late NIV failure. Conclusion: Most identified risk factors significantly predicted NIV failure, suggesting they may serve as useful early indicators to guide intervention. Even non-significant factors still exhibited some association with NIV failure. Further research exploring additional predictors could optimize NIV outcomes and reduce mortality from AECOPD.