Summary estimates of effect of noninvasive ventilation in adults with critical illness
| Outcome | No. of studies (no. of patients*) | Summary estimate (95% CI) | Heterogeneity, I2, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death | 16 (994) | 0.53‡ (0.36 to 0.80) | 37 |
| VAP | 14 (953) | 0.25‡ (0.15 to 0.43) | 38 |
| Weaning failure | 8 (605) | 0.63‡ (0.42 to 0.96) | 39 |
| Length of stay | |||
| Intensive care unit | 13 (907) | −5.59§ (−7.90 to −3.28) | 77 |
| Hospital | 10 (803) | −6.04§ (−9.22 to −2.87) | 78 |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation | |||
| Total | 7 (385) | −5.64§ (−9.50 to −1.77) | 86 |
| Related to weaning | 9 (645) | −0.25§ (−2.06 to 1.56) | 90 |
| Endotracheal† | 12 (717) | −7.44§ (−10.34 to −4.55) | 87 |
| Adverse events | |||
| Reintubation | 10 (789) | 0.65‡ (0.44 to 0.97) | 41 |
| Tracheostomy | 7 (572) | 0.19‡ (0.08 to 0.47) | 10 |
| Arrhythmia | 3 (201) | 0.89‡ (0.34 to 2.34) | 0 |
Note: CI = confidence interval, VAP = ventilator-associated pneumonia.
↵* For weaning failure, reintubation and tracheostomy, the numbers of patients in the denominators differ from sums of numbers in Table 1 because one study38 reported these outcomes differently (i.e., weaning failure included reintubation or death within 7 d; reintubation included only reintubation within 7 d; tracheostomy was reported in 105 surviving patients at discharge).
↵† Invasive ventilation.
↵‡ Risk ratio.
↵§ Mean difference.