TABLE 2

Recommendations for actionable PICO questions

Clinical indication#Certainty of evidenceRecommendation
Prevention of hypercapnia in COPD exacerbation⊕⊕Conditional recommendation against
Hypercapnia with COPD exacerbation⊕⊕⊕⊕Strong recommendation for
Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema⊕⊕⊕Strong recommendation for
Acute asthma exacerbationNo recommendation made
Immunocompromised⊕⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for
De novo respiratory failureNo recommendation made
Post-operative patients⊕⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for
Palliative care⊕⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for
Trauma⊕⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for
Pandemic viral illnessNo recommendation made
Post-extubation in high-risk patients (prophylaxis)⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for
Post-extubation respiratory failure⊕⊕Conditional recommendation against
Weaning in hypercapnic patients⊕⊕⊕Conditional recommendation for

#: all in the setting of acute respiratory failure; : certainty of effect estimates: ⊕⊕⊕⊕, high; ⊕⊕⊕, moderate; ⊕⊕, low; ⊕, very low.