[Noninvasive mechanical ventilation with positive pressure].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: 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. Non-Invasive Mechanical ventilation has been one of the updated topics. Describe the most important topics on the non-invasive mechanical ventilation and suggest the main therapeutic approaches of this modality.

METHODS: Systematic review of the published literature and gradation of the studies in levels of evidence, using the keywords "non-invasive mechanical ventilation".

RESULTS: Recommendations on the non-invasive mechanical ventilation during respiratory failure and weaning are presented.

CONCLUSIONS: Non-invasive mechanical ventilation is the main form of ventilatory support during exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in acute pulmonary edema patients.