Results
Between January and April 2010, 75 patients were consecutively
hospitalized for COPD exacerbation and hypercapnic respiratory
failure, but 67 were enrolled in the study population (5 patients
were excluded for being on chronic NIV treatment at home and
the other 3 for the presence of concomitant pneumonia).
We considered 58 of the 67 patients initially enrolled, as 9 were
excluded because they were transferred to the intensive care unit