Individually, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and helium-oxygen gas mixtures (heliox) diminish ventilatory workload and improve exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NIV in combination with heliox may have additive effects on exercise tolerance in severe COPD.
Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, CMR 402, Box 307, APO AE 09180. patrick.allan@amedd.army.mil
