Chronic noninvasive ventilation in obstructive airways disease.

Early experience with noninvasive ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was largely unsuccessful, with no benefit over long-term oxygen therapy. Nasal positive pressure ventilation, however, produces improvements in arterial blood gases, nocturnal-hypoventilation, and quality of life. Experience with nasal ventilation in other obstructive airways diseases, such as bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis, is limited and less favorable.