Life expectancy and quality of life are poor in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to bronchiectasis. The indication for nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) remains controversial in chronic obstructive lung disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether some of the objectives of home mechanical ventilation, i.e. improvement in blood gas values and reduced length of hospitalization, were fulfilled by NIPPV and oxygen plus medical treatment in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to bronchiectasis. Sixteen consecutive patients (12 females and four males; mean age 57 +/- 11 yrs) with chronic respiratory failure due to bronchiectasis, treated at home with nocturnal NIPPV in addition to oxygen therapy, were retrospectively studied in terms of blood gas values and duration of hospitalization before and after NIPPV. Details of the therapy received by each patient were recorded. Nine patients agreed to complete a questionnaire to determine their perception of the benefits of the treatment. NIPPV was performed using a volumetric respirator and was applied with a customized nasal mask modelled with silicone paste. NIPPV was used for a mean of 26 months (range 0.5-60 months). Eleven patients were alive 12 months after use of NIPPV. No significant improvement in blood gas values was noted on room air during NIPPV, but arterial carbon dioxide tension (Pa,CO2) stabilized after the period of worsening observed before initiation of NIPPV. Duration of hospitalization, the year before and the year after NIPPV, was 19 (3-40) and 16 (8-37) days, respectively (NS). For the 11 patients who were alive 2 yrs after the start of NIPPV, duration of hospitalization the year before NIPPV and between 12 and 24 months after NIPPV were 17 (4-40) and 7 (2-27) days, respectively (p < 0.05). Nine patients who had received NIPPV for at least 12 months at the time of the study reported an improvement in their quality of life. The results suggest that home ventilatory support by nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation offers an acceptable alternative to tracheotomy, with less discomfort, in the management of severe respiratory failure due to bronchiectasis, in order to allow the patient to return home. These results should be confirmed by controlled studies.