Both NIV and HFNC are used to treat patients with acute respiratory failure. Current guidelines recommend NIV for acute respiratory failure caused by COPD and acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. However, NIV may be hard for some patients to tolerate. When compared to low-flow oxygen therapy, HFNC has been shown to improve oxygenation, improve alveolar recruitment, and enhance clearance of secretions. HFNC may be easier to use and tolerate than NIV, but there remains uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of HFNC compared to NIV for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. In this podcast, we discuss the RENOVATE trial that sought to compare HFNC with NIV on rates of intubation in patients with acute respiratory failure.

NIPPV is frequently used in the management of critically ill patients presenting with an acute COPD exacerbation, as NIPPV decreases the rates of intubation and is associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Typically, "low" intensity NIPPV, whereby inspiratory positive airway pressures less than 18 cm H2O are used. More recently, the use of "high" intensity NIPPV, with IPAPs between 20-30 cm H2O, has been shown to improve gas exchange, ventilatory function, and improve arterial PCO2 values. In this podcast, we review the HAPPEN Trial, which compared low intensity to high intensity NIPPV on the need for intubation in patients with an acute COPD exacerbation and hypercapnia.

The incidence of opioid-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests continues to rise. Current guidelines for the resuscitation of patients with OHCA advise the clinician to consider the administration of naloxone of patients with suspected opioid-associated OHCA. In this podcast, we review a recenlty published study in JAMA that evaluated the association of naloxone with patient outcomes in opioid-associated OHCAs.