title: [Mechanical ventilation in acute asthma crisis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The II Brazilian Consensus Conference on Mechanical Ventilation was published in 2000. Knowledge on the field of mechanical ventilation evolved rapidly since then, with the publication of numerous clinical studies with potential impact on the ventilatory management of critically ill patients. Moreover, the evolving concept of evidence - based medicine determined the grading of clinical recommendations according to the methodological value of the studies on which they are based. This explicit approach has broadened the understanding and adoption of clinical recommendations. For these reasons, AMIB - Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira and SBPT - Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia - decided to update the recommendations of the II Brazilian Consensus. Mechanical ventilation in the asthma attack has been one of the updated topics. Describe the most important topics on the mechanical ventilation during the asthma attack and suggest the main therapeutic approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of the published literature and gradation of the studies in levels of evidence, using the key words "mechanical ventilation" and "asthma".
  
  
  RESULTS
  We present recommendations on the ventilatory modes and settings to be adopted when ventilating a patient during an asthma attack, as well as the recommended monitoring. Alternative ventilation techniques are also presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protective ventilatory strategies are recommended when ventilating a patient during a severe asthma attack.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP.
authors.forename: Carmen Sílvia Valente
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Barbas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, MG.
authors.forename: Bruno do Valle
authors.initials: Bdo V
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: UTI, Clínica São Vicente, RJ.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.affiliation: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, SP.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magaldi
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, ES.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.affiliation: UTI, Santa Casa de São Paulo, SP.
authors.forename: Anderson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: José
authors.affiliation: UTI, Hospital AC Camargo, SP.
authors.forename: Valdelis Novis
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Okamoto