Table 1
Answers to survey questions concerning care of patients receiving NIPPV for acute exacerbations of COPD
| No. of centres (%) | |
|---|---|
| (1) Who makes the decision re initiating non-invasive ventilation? | |
| Respiratory physician | 80 (66%) |
| Anaesthetist | 4 (3%) |
| Other (please specify) | 7 (6%) |
| Combination | 30 (25%) |
| (2) Who sets up non-invasive ventilation? | |
| Nurse | 18 (15%) |
| Physiotherapist | 11 (9%) |
| Doctor | 40 (33%) |
| Combination | 49 (41%) |
| (3) Where is non-invasive ventilation initiated? | |
| General ward | 20 (16%) |
| Respiratory ward | 30 (24%) |
| HDU | 15 (12%) |
| ITU | 16 (13%) |
| Combination | 42 (34%) |
| (4) If you have NIPPV in your hospital, how was it purchased? | |
| Trust equipment budget | 46 (41%) |
| Research or charitable funds | 41 (37%) |
| Both | 25 (22%) |
| (5) If you do not use or have easy access to NIPPV, why is this? | |
| Financial | 67 (62%) |
| Lack of experience with this form of treatment | 56 (52%) |
| Lack of other staff with experience with this treatment | 67 (62%) |
| Doubt about the benefit of this treatment | 16 (15%) |
