HFNC vs. NIV in Acute COPD Exacerbations

The investigators investigated the efficacy and safety of High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) at different flow rates compared to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute exacerbations of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who did not respond adequately to bronchodilator therapy and continued to exhibit hypercapnic respiratory failure. Specifically, the investigators tested the hypothesis that HFNC would be more effective at reducing partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) levels and hospital stay duration and would be associated with greater patient comfort than NIV.