King's College London

Acute respiratory failure is a common, life-threating condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is a common indication for intensive care admission and frequently requires invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilatory support. In the UK, over 60,000 adults each year receive invasive ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU). Whilst this is a life-saving intervention, patients often experience short-term consequences including worsening lung function, hospital acquired infection and death. They also experience long-term physical, psychological and social impacts on their lives. There is an urgent need to identify innovative ventilation strategies that can be implemented easily and quickly to reduce the need for intubation and the duration of mechanical ventilation.