Bilateral parotitis: a rare complication associated with non-invasive ventilation

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a widely used method of respiratory support that allows for assisted ventilation without the need for endotracheal intubation. It provides positive end-expiratory pressure, maintains respiratory muscle function and reduces complications related to invasive mechanical ventilation. Initially developed in the 1980s, NIV became more prevalent in clinical practice two decades later due to its numerous advantages.However, despite its benefits, NIV is associated with complications such as nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, epistaxis, erythema and facial pressure injuries. A lesser-known but clinically significant complication is post-NIV bilateral parotitis.We present a case of a young adult male admitted to the ICU for refractory status epilepticus complicated by ventilator-associated pneumonia, who subsequently developed bilateral parotitis associated with NIV.