Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Home Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) Treatment for COPD-patients After a NIV-treated Exacerbation
Brief Summary: Background: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the prognosis for patients who have survived an episode of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to an exacerbation is poor. Despite being shown to improve survival and quality-of-life in stable patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure, long-term noninvasive ventilation is controversial in unstable patients with frequent exacerbations, complicated by acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. In an uncontrolled group of patients with previous episodes of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, treated with noninvasive ventilation, we have been able to reduce mortality and the number of repeat respiratory failure and readmissions by continuing the acute noninvasive ventilatory therapy as a long-term therapy.

Methods: Multi-center open label randomized controlled trial of 150 patients having survived an admission with noninvasive ventilatory treatment of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The included patients are randomized to usual care or to continuing the acute noninvasive ventilation as a long-term therapy, both with a one-year follow-up period.

End points: The primary endpoint is one-year mortality; secondary endpoints are time to death or repeat acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, number of readmissions and repeat acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, exacerbations, dyspnea, quality of life, sleep quality, lung function, and arterial gases.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* COPD (FEV1\< 50%, Tiffeneau \< 70%)
* Dyspnoea on exertion and a reduced exercise capacity
* Age 75 years or less
* PaCO2 \> 6.0 kPa at rest without oxygen

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cardial/neuromuscular diseases limiting a successful rehabilitation
* Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) \> 10
* Previous exposure to chronic NIPPV
* Participation in a pulmonary rehabilitation program less than 18 months ago
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \> 18 years old
* COPD patients who survived after an episode of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure
* Patients weaned from ventilation (non invasive ventilation or mechanical ventilation) for acute episode since at least seven days with stable arterial blood gas since at least two days: PaCO2 \> 55 mmHg and pH \> 7.35

Exclusion Criteria:

* Age \> 85 years old
* Non- COPD causes of respiratory failure
* Obstructive sleep apnea excluded by polysomnography
* Adverse psychosocial status
* Serious co-morbidity
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patient admitted with a NIV-requiring exacerbation of COPD
* COPD with a FEV1/FVC \<0.7 after bronchodilatation.
* ≥ 1 acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF \*).
* Optimal medical treatment of COPD, ie. inhaled steroids, long-acting β2-agonist Tiotropium, according to GOLD guidelines.
* Address in Capital Region
* Patients are able to give verbal consent and sign a written consent form and understand Danish-

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severely depressed level of consciousness / confusion / non-cooperative.
* Respiratory rate \<12/min
* Severe hypoxia, such as requiring more than 15L O2/min.
* Large amounts of sputum.
* Vomiting and high risk for aspiration.
* Inability to accept NIV.
* Recent abdominal, facial or upper airway surgery.
* Malignancy or life expectancy \<6 months because of disease other than COPD
* Known obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA)
* Metabolic acidotic component - StHCO3- \< 20 mM
D: Inclusion criteria:

* COPD Subjects
* A COPD subject will be eligible for inclusion in this study only if all of the following criteria apply:
* Male or female subjects, aged 40-75 years inclusive
* A baseline (post-bronchodilator) FEV1 \<80% of predicted normal and a baseline (post-bronchodilator) FEV1/FVC ratio 70%
* Current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years (number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day / 20) x number of years smoked e.g., 20 cigarettes per day for 10 years, or 10 cigarettes per day for 20 years).
* A signed and dated written informed consent is obtained prior to participation
* Able to comply with the requirements of the protocol and be available for study visits over 3 years

Control Subjects - Current/Ex Smokers

* A control subject will be eligible for inclusion in this study only if all of the following criteria apply:
* Male or female subjects, aged 40-75 years inclusive, who are free from significant disease as determined by history, physical examination and screening investigations
* Baseline (post-bronchodilator) FEV1 \>85% of predicted normal. FEV1/FVC ratio \>70%
* Current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years (number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day / 20) x number of years smoked e.g., 20 cigarettes per day for 10 years, or 10 cigarettes per day for 20 years).
* A signed and dated written informed consent is obtained prior to participation.
* Able to comply with the requirements of the protocol and be available for study visits over 3 years

Control Subjects - Non-smokers

* A non-smoking control subject will be eligible for inclusion in this study only if all of the following criteria apply:
* Male or female subjects, aged 40-75 years inclusive, who are free from significant disease as determined by history, physical examination and screening investigations
* Baseline (post-bronchodilator) FEV1 \>85% of predicted normal. FEV1/FVC ratio \>70%
* Non-smokers with a smoking history of \< 1 pack-year (number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day / 20) x number of years smoked).
* A signed and dated written informed consent is obtained prior to participation.
* Able to comply with the requirements of the protocol and be available for study visits over 3 years

Exclusion Criteria:

COPD Subjects

* A COPD subject will not be eligible for inclusion in this study if any of the following criteria apply:
* Known respiratory disorders, or disorders identified at screening/visit 1 (including identification on the first CT scan), other than COPD (e.g.: lung cancer, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, lung fibrosis, cystic fibrosis)
* Known history of significant inflammatory disease, other than COPD (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus)
* Known to be severely alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient (PI SZ or ZZ)
* Having undergone lung surgery (e.g. lung reduction, lung transplant)
* Have cancer or have had cancer in the 5 years prior to study entry
* Serious, uncontrolled disease (including serious psychological disorders) likely to interfere with the study or impact on subject safety
* Is enrolled in a long term blinded drug study (subjects in open label studies may be considered and subjects in short blinded studies (approx less than 12 weeks may be considered following consultation with sponsor) or a study where there is significant radiation exposure (e.g.: CT scans)
* Have, in the opinion of the investigator, evidence of alcohol, drug or solvent abuse
* Have received a blood transfusion in the 4 weeks prior to study start
* Has experienced a moderate or severe exacerbation (requiring oral corticosteroid, antibiotics or hospitalisation) within the last 4 weeks. All courses of oral corticosteroids and antibiotics must be completed at least 2 weeks before study start
* Is on long term oral corticosteroids (long term is considered use for more than 3 consecutive months)
* Unable to walk
* Subject is a participating investigator, sub-investigator, study co-ordinator, or employee of a participating investigator, or is an immediate family member of the aforementioned.

Control Subjects

* A control subject will not be eligible for inclusion in this study if any of the following criteria apply:
* Known respiratory disorders, or disorders identified at screening/visit 1 including identification on the first CT scan (e.g.: COPD, asthma, lung cancer, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, lung fibrosis)
* Known history of significant inflammatory disease (eg rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus)
* Known to be severely alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient (PI SZ or ZZ)
* Having undergone lung surgery (e.g. lung reduction, lung transplant)
* Have cancer or have had cancer in the 5 years prior to study entry
* Serious, uncontrolled disease (including serious psychological disorders) likely to interfere with the study
* Is enrolled in a long term blinded drug study (subjects in open label studies may be considered and subjects in short blinded studies (approx less than 12 weeks may be considered following consultation with sponsor) or a study where there is significant radiation exposure (e.g.: CT scans)
* Have, in the opinion of the investigator, evidence of alcohol, drug or solvent abuse.
* Have received a blood transfusion in the 4 weeks prior to study start
* Is on long term oral corticosteroids (long term is considered use for more than 3 consecutive months)
* Subject is a participating investigator, sub-investigator, study co-ordinator, or employee of a participating investigator, or is an immediate family member of the aforementioned.

Answer: C