[Non-invasive respiratory unit in the Hungarian health care system]

Treating patients with acute or chronic respiratory insufficiency still poses a major load on the healthcare system. Though there is evidence that treating these patients in high dependency respiratory units results in a shortening of hospital stay, reduces the need of intubation, and decreases mortality. In the Hungarian routine these patients are treated in general wards until the development of global respiratory insufficiency, when they are transferred to intensive care units. The authors present their first year experience on their novel Non-invasive Respiratory Unit established at Semmelweis University.