Noninvasive ventilation in the weaning phase of mechanical ventilation

During the last decade, noninvasive ventilation has proved to be a valuable alternative to endotracheal intubation in many patients with acute respiratory failure, allowing a reduction in morbidity mortality and length of intensive care and hospital stay compared to conventional mechanical ventilation. Recent data from clinical studies suggest that these beneficial effects could also be extended to the weaning phase of mechanical ventilation, by reducing, in some patients at any rate, its duration and complication rate. The present paper focuses on some of these promising new aspects of noninvasive ventilation and attempts to define the possible indications and limits of this technique in the context of weaning.