Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure are more likely to develop exacerbations. Non-invasive ventilation has been proposed to treat acute respiratory failure but little information is available about the benefits of home non-invasive ventilation in COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure surviving an acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. The purpose of this study is to determine whether home non-invasive ventilation can reduce recurrent acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in COPD patients who survived an episode of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) treated by Non-invasive ventilation (NIV).

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