Open access
Noninvasive ventilation use and ICU mortality in COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure: a retrospective cohort study
J. Martini
F. X. de Araújo
Gabriela Machado Costa
C. Corbellini
Erika Meléndez-Oliva
E. A. Sánchez-Romero
Rob Sillevis
J. Cuenca-Zaldívar
Viviane Martins Corrêa Boniatti
Medicine
Abstract
Highlights • NIV use increased from 2.4% to 77.8% across the two study periods.• Intubation rates remained high and did not differ significantly between periods.• Second-period patients had more severe hypoxemia and higher crude ICU mortality.• Absence of NIV use was associated with a lower adjusted hazard of ICU mortality.• The association likely reflects confounding by indication, not a causal NIV effect.