NONINVASIVE VENTILATION WITH HELMET INTERFACE IN COVID-19: PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL, BIOMECHANICAL, AND CLINICAL ASPECTS
A SCOPING REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16891/2317-434X.v14.e1.a2026.id3370Keywords:
Insuficiência respiratória aguda hipoxêmica, Mecânica respiratória, Pressão positiva contínua nas vias aéreasAbstract
Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure is one of the main complications of COVID-19. Noninvasive ventilation delivered through a helmet interface has emerged as a promising alternative for its management. The aim of this study was to review the pathophysiological and biomechanical aspects of COVID-19 and their clinical implications for the use of noninvasive ventilation with a helmet interface. This is a scoping review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A search was carried out for studies published in the last five years, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, in the PubMed Central and Medline databases. In total, 35 studies were selected for qualitative synthesis. The ten most relevant were summarized in a table: four addressed the pathophysiology of COVID-19, respiratory mechanics, and patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI), while six evaluated noninvasive ventilation with a helmet interface, showing greater tolerance and a reduced need for intubation. National studies using the ELMO device demonstrated effectiveness in resource-limited settings. Understanding the pathophysiological and biomechanical aspects of the disease is essential for selecting the appropriate ventilatory strategy, with the helmet interface representing a viable, safe, and effective option.
