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Published in: Intensive Care Medicine 8/2021

01-08-2021 | Hypoxemia | Narrative Review

Non-invasive ventilatory support and high-flow nasal oxygen as first-line treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and ARDS

Authors: Domenico Luca Grieco, Salvatore Maurizio Maggiore, Oriol Roca, Elena Spinelli, Bhakti K. Patel, Arnaud W. Thille, Carmen Sílvia V. Barbas, Marina Garcia de Acilu, Salvatore Lucio Cutuli, Filippo Bongiovanni, Marcelo Amato, Jean-Pierre Frat, Tommaso Mauri, John P. Kress, Jordi Mancebo, Massimo Antonelli

Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 8/2021

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Abstract

The role of non-invasive respiratory support (high-flow nasal oxygen and noninvasive ventilation) in the management of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome is debated. The oxygenation improvement coupled with lung and diaphragm protection produced by non-invasive support may help to avoid endotracheal intubation, which prevents the complications of sedation and invasive mechanical ventilation. However, spontaneous breathing in patients with lung injury carries the risk that vigorous inspiratory effort, combined or not with mechanical increases in inspiratory airway pressure, produces high transpulmonary pressure swings and local lung overstretch. This ultimately results in additional lung damage (patient self-inflicted lung injury), so that patients intubated after a trial of noninvasive support are burdened by increased mortality. Reducing inspiratory effort by high-flow nasal oxygen or delivery of sustained positive end-expiratory pressure through the helmet interface may reduce these risks. In this physiology-to-bedside review, we provide an updated overview about the role of noninvasive respiratory support strategies as early treatment of hypoxemic respiratory failure in the intensive care unit. Noninvasive strategies appear safe and effective in mild-to-moderate hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 > 150 mmHg), while they can yield delayed intubation with increased mortality in a significant proportion of moderate-to-severe (PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 150 mmHg) cases. High-flow nasal oxygen and helmet noninvasive ventilation represent the most promising techniques for first-line treatment of severe patients. However, no conclusive evidence allows to recommend a single approach over the others in case of moderate-to-severe hypoxemia. During any treatment, strict physiological monitoring remains of paramount importance to promptly detect the need for endotracheal intubation and not delay protective ventilation.
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Metadata
Title
Non-invasive ventilatory support and high-flow nasal oxygen as first-line treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and ARDS
Authors
Domenico Luca Grieco
Salvatore Maurizio Maggiore
Oriol Roca
Elena Spinelli
Bhakti K. Patel
Arnaud W. Thille
Carmen Sílvia V. Barbas
Marina Garcia de Acilu
Salvatore Lucio Cutuli
Filippo Bongiovanni
Marcelo Amato
Jean-Pierre Frat
Tommaso Mauri
John P. Kress
Jordi Mancebo
Massimo Antonelli
Publication date
01-08-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Intensive Care Medicine / Issue 8/2021
Print ISSN: 0342-4642
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-021-06459-2

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