Noninvasive ventilation support during fiberoptic bronchoscopy-guided nasotracheal intubation effectively prevents severe hypoxemia

Abstract

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a common first-line technique for reducing the need for intubation in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with respiratory failure. If NIV fails, intubation is inevitable and is associated with multiple complications, including severe hypoxemia. Preoxygenation can prevent severe hypoxemia in healthy patients undergoing anesthesia, but it is less effective in critically ill patients. Conventional NIV masks must be removed prior to intubation, but a specially designed mask could allow for NIV to be used as a method of oxygenation during fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB)-guided nasotracheal intubation.