[Phoning study about postoperative practice and application of non-invasive ventilation]

Incidence and management of positive pressure non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in intensive care unit (ICU) in the postoperative period.

Phoning study performed on September 2001 in 60 ICU of south of France (public: 47, private: 13, medical: 11, surgical: 20, medical-surgical: 29), which were randomized from a national list.

NIV was used currently on 55% and casually on 35% of the units. Ten percent of ICU, which never use NIV, were surgical on 83% with a lower number of bed (7 +/- 3 vs. 12 +/- 5). The most often humidification device used was a Heat and Moisture Exchanger (HME) (52%), a Heated Humidifier (HH) (26%), either (4%) and none device (19%). ICU that never used a humidification device used a home ventilator in 30%. Ventilators used were more often heavy ICU ventilators (80%) with a facial mask (89%). NIV was performed exclusively by physicians in 15% of cases and in collaboration after the first application in 71% of cases. Sixty-nine % of intensivists used NIV as a first choice for the treatment of acute postoperative respiratory failure and 54% of intensivists for the treatment of postoperative atelectasis.

Use of NIV increases in ICU, particularly in surgical units. Practices are different between ICU. An HME is the most frequently humidification device used.