[Does noninvasive ventilation avoid intubation of the critical patient?]

In recent years we have witnessed an increased use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in our intensive care units (ICUs). Its use is intended mainly in cases of acute respiratory failure (ARF), in order to improve arterial oxygenation, increase alveolar ventilation, decrease work of breathing and avoid intubation. For this reason, we designed a study that has aimed to quantify the number of patients who have benefited from NIV during their admission, to know the type of NIV used in these patients and to determine whether the use of NIV has avoided tracheal intubation. We performed a retrospective, observational and descriptive study in two polyvalent ICUs of a tertiary hospital, with 80 patients with NIV during admission. 65% men and 35% women. Mean age: ±61 years (47-75). Average stay: ±10 days (2-18). NIV mode used was double positive pressure with Nellcor Puritan Bennett® 840. A total of 46% of patients treated with NIV required intubation, thus extending their stay in the ICU by ±6 days. Most patients treated with NIV had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and / or were carriers of VNI with continuous positive pressure (CPAP) at home. Following this analysis, we concluded that treatment with NIV did not prevent tracheal intubation in a considerable number of patients (37) diagnosed with ARF and the NIV was effective in patients with a history of COPD and / or CPAP at home.