Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation in High Risk Infections, Mass Casualty and Pandemics

The second edition of this book describes the clinical indications of NIV in patients hospitalized with high-risk infections as well as in the prehospital management of mass casualty incidents, including chemical or biological disasters and pandemics. In recent decades, we have learned the impact that different pandemics and mass casualty disasters can outcome in terms of health resource use, health costs and human lives. The development of respiratory failure in these patients, either infectious or non-infectious causes, has led to develop employment plans related both to invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation during acute respiratory failure.

Therefore, this updated edition represents a useful scientific reference point according to what it has been experienced in the last pandemics, with respect to the growing role that NIV has and must have in the world. 

Antonio M. Esquinas is critical care specialist and staff physician in the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital Morales Meseguer, Murcia. Spain. He is an International fellow of the American Association Respiratory Care (AARC), fellow of the American College Chest Physicians. (ACCP) European Respiratory Society, and Director of the International School of Non Invasive Ventilation, International noninvasive ventilation Fellowship program, president of the International Association of Non Invasive Ventilation and International College of Expert of noninvasive ventilation. His main educational and research activities are related to noninvasive mechanical ventilation in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. Currently, he is very keen in difficult weaning, postextubation, respiratory, humidification and airway clearance techniques in mechanically ventilated patients. He is author of more than 60 books and 560 indexed papers in noninvasive ventilation approaches.