Under the Nose Face Mask to Prevent Facial Pressure Ulcers During NIV for Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure (AHRF)

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is essential to treat acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. However, facial pressure ulcers appearing during facemask‐delivered noninvasive ventilation are a source of NIV failure by interface intolerance. A Philips facemask (model : AF541 SE Oro‐Nasal mask) has the particularity to display two options for its positioning : a usually used "over‐the‐nose" positioning or an "under‐the‐nose" positioning that is supposed to reduce the incidence of facial pressure ulcers while keeping in the same time the qualities of a standard facemask. The goal of this controlled randomized trial is to test the hypothesis that the "under‐the‐nose" positioning actually reduces the incidence of facial pressure ulcers, compared to the usually used "over‐the‐nose" positioning. Results of this trial should lead to the proposition of a new interface strategy to prevent facial pressure ulcers and therefore to improve the tolerance of NIV via the use of facemasks displaying an "under‐the‐nose" positioning.