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) Exclusion Criteria: * Psychological or neurological concomitant disease making an informed consent impossible * Pregnancy * Pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum * Pathologically low blood pressure, particularly associated with intravascular volume depletion * Liquor discharge, recent head surgery or trauma * Severe bullous lung disease * Dehydration * Current ventilation therapy * Bilateral pleural effusion \> 500 ml at the time of enrolment * Exudative pleural effusion