RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Noninvasive mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure due to H1N1 infection JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 2968 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Eva Tonveronachi A1 Ilaria Valentini A1 Andrea Fabiani A1 Rosanna Vaschetto A1 Antonina Pigna A1 Riccardo Maviglia A1 Gabriela Sangiorgi A1 Massimo Gorini A1 Marco Adversi A1 Gianfranco Di Nino A1 Stefano Faenza A1 Massimo Antonelli A1 Paolo Navalesi A1 Stefano Nava YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/2968.abstract AB We evaluated the clinical outcomes of consecutive patients positive for H1N1 and admitted to 6 Intensive Care Units in Italy for severe Acute Respiratory Failure and requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV). 29/54 (54%) patients admitted to the ICUs needed immediate intubation for gasping, coma or respiratory arrest. The remaining 25 patients (mean age 49.8±12) underwent an NIV trial as a first line treatment using the helmet (n.19 patients) or a total face mask (n.6). Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs) at enrolment were: pH=7,41±0.02, PaO2/FiO2=117±64 and PaCO2=40,5±9. At the first ABGs control (between 30' and 90') PaO2/FiO2 significantly (p<0.001) improved to 187±43 with a concomitant decrease in PaCO2 to 36.4±9. Mean duration of NIV was 49.8±33 hrs. 10/25 (40%) of the patients required intubation after 20.3 hrs. Overall mortality rate was 7/25 (28%), with all the deaths occurring in the NIV failure group. NIV failure had a lower PaO2/FiO2 at admission (78.6±21 vs 152.4±32 p<0.01, for NIV failure and success, respectively) and 5/7 patients had a known risk factor (i.e.hematological malignancies (n.2), previous solid organ transplant (n.1),multiple sclerosis (n.1) and CHF (n.1) None of the operators were apparently contaminated by the virus. NIV may be safely used to treat patients with severe ARF due to H1N1 infections. The success rate was similar for that reported in the literature for ALI/ARDS patients.