Helmet noninvasive ventilation for weaning from mechanical ventilation.
We saw a patient who presented with carbon dioxide narcosis and acute respiratory failure due to an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We intubated and 12 hours later he had recovered consciousness and could cooperate with noninvasive ventilation, at which point we extubated and used a helmet to provide noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in assist/control mode, and then during the ventilator-weaning process, pressure support, and finally continuous positive airway pressure. The patient had no complications from the helmet, and he was discharged from intensive care 48 hours after helmet ventilation was initiated. Helmet noninvasive ventilation is a potentially valuable ventilator-weaning method for certain patients.
Klein
Moti
M
General Intensive Care Department, Division of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Soroka Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel 84101. motiklein@yahoo.com.
Weksler
Natan
N
Bartal
Carmi
C
Gurman
Gabriel M
GM
D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods