Abstract
Helmet-based noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a viable option for the safe transport of potential or known coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Given the most likely modes of transmission through droplets, aerosols, and fomite contact, airway procedures such as endotracheal intubation place air medical crews and other health care providers at high risk for exposure. This, together with data that suggest that a large cohort of coronavirus disease 2019 patients have better outcomes if we can avoid intubating them, creates a need for a safe method of NIV or high-flow oxygen delivery during transport. Commonly used and successful in-hospital regimens for these patients are high-flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure or bilevel positive airway pressure. In some studies, helmet NIV has been shown to be a viable, if not superior, alternative to these therapies for patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Furthermore, because it is a sealed and closed space that completely isolates the patient's airway and breathing, it provides a very high degree of protection from exposure to pathogens transmitted through droplets or aerosols. This article discusses practical implementation of helmet NIV in air medical transport.
Published Version
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