Support to the Patient with Respiratory Failure

Background In Italy respiratory diseases are the third leading cause of death after cancer and cardiovascular disease. In fact, every year in Italy a person in 100 is hospitalized for a disease that affects the respiratory system, a person in 1, 000 people die of respiratory diseases, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and pulmonary emphysema. Not less than five million people are suffering from respiratory diseases.30, 000 people, due to chronic respiratory disease, live in a state of respiratory failure, this means in a so serious situation as to make them dependent on an oxygen supply. The main respiratory diseases in the world are in constant progression predominantly in relation to raising the age in the population. Increased exposure to risk factors such as active and passive smoking, the type of work activity, air pollution, residence in industrialized countries, genetic, power quality and more. The following epidemiological data ISTAT 2000 demonstrate the importance of the social diseases of the respiratory system 2, 500, 000 people suffer from diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.1, 730, 000 people suffer from bronchial asthma with a clear upward trend of new cases, especially for children. Each year there are 600, 000 hospital admissions due to respiratory disease. Respiratory diseases, excluding lung cancer, representing 8 % of the causes of hospitalization. Respiratory diseases, excluding lung cancer, representing 8 % of the causes of hospitalization [2], [15].