Noninvasive Ventilation Therapy for the Treatment of Pleural Effusion in Patients With Heart Failure

Inclusion Criteria

• •Patients admitted to our hospital on a routine or emergency basis
• •Patients with heart failure according to the current ESC guidelines and chronic pleural effusion with clinical indication for pleurocentesis
• •Non-invasively determined cardiac index of \< 2.5 l/min/m²
• •BNP \> 300 pg/ml
• •Transudative pleural effusion according to Light criteria
• •Effective pleurocentesis with residual effusion on the side affected of \< 500 ml
• •Tolerance of non-invasive ventilation without subjective or objective hemodynamic impairment as verified during a test ventilation
• •No change in drug or other therapy for the duration of the study (5 days)