Management of Aerosol during Noninvasive Ventilation for Patients with Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Important Messages during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

With the advent of COVID-19 infection and its rapid spread, preventive strategies are being developed worldwide, besides following the universal infection control guidelines. Prevention of spread through aerosol generation is one of the essential strategies in this regard, particularly for patients with sleep-disordered breathing at home and during hospital admission. Aerosols are produced, at home and in health care facilities, by natural processes and aerosol-generating procedures. To address this impinging problem, aerosol-generating procedures, like non-invasive ventilation (NIV), are to be handled meticulously, which might warrant isolation and sometimes device/interface modifications.