Table 1 SPIRIT schedule of enrollment, intervention, and assessments

Enrolment:

  Eligibility screen

X

  Informed consent

X

  Allocation

X

Interventions:

  NIPPV plus IOT

X

X

X

X

  NIPPV alone

X

X

X

X

ASSESSMENTS:

  Demographics

X

  Comorbidity

X

  Vital signs

X

X

X

X

  Hospital readmission

X

X

X

X

  Exacerbation

X

X

X

X

  Survival status

X

X

X

X

  Arterial blood gases

X

X

X

X

  Lung function

X

X

  SRI score

X

X

X

X

  CAT score

X

X

X

X

  mMRC score

X

X

X

X

  cNAT score

X

X

X

X

  Compliance

X

X

X

X

  Chest CT

X

X

  Electrocardiogram

X

X

  Echocardiography

X

X

  Routine laboratory tests

X

X

  Cost-effectiveness

X

X

X

X

  Safety

X

X

X

X