No abstract

An objective causal assessment suggests that rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, and possibly hepatotoxicity were probably related to an amiodarone-simvastatin interaction.

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been used in outpatients with sleep apnea, sleep disorders associated with heart failure, restrictive pulmonary diseases (subsuming neuromuscular diseases and thoracic cage deformities), severe stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. NIPPV in these settings has resulted in significant physiologic benefits, improved quality of life, and in some cases longer survival. We discuss the modes of NIPPV, current indications, and potential benefits.

In the past 2 decades, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been increasingly used in acute respiratory failure to avoid the risks associated with intubation. It is now considered standard first-line therapy in several situations. In this review, we summarize how NIPPV has evolved, the current level of evidence that supports its use in various clinical situations, its potential contraindications, and its limitations in acute respiratory failure.