Non-invasive ventilation in patients with an altered level of consciousness : a clinical review and practical insightsGonçalves, Gil (Avtor) Saeed, Haitham (Avtor) Abdelrahim, Mohamed E (Avtor) Harb, Hadeer S (Avtor) Madney, Yasmin M (Avtor) Eng, Kevin (Avtor) Reazaul Karim, Habib Mohammad (Avtor) El-Khatib, Mohamad F. (Avtor) Mina, Bushra (Avtor) Skoczyński, Szymon (Avtor) Šarc, Irena (Avtor) noninvasive ventilationbrain diseasesconsciousness disorderscomaaltered consciousnessencephalopathyNon-invasive ventilation has gained an increasingly pivotal role in the treatment of acute hypoxemic and/or hypercapnic respiratory failure and offers multiple advantages over invasive mechanical ventilation. Some of these advantages include the preservation of airway defense mechanisms, a reduced need for sedation, and an avoidance of complications related to endotracheal intubation. Despite its advantages, non-invasive ventilation has some contraindications that include, among them, severe encephalopathy. In this review article, the rationale, evidence, and drawbacks of the use of noninvasive ventilation in the context of hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic patients with an altered level of consciousness are analyzed.Via Medica20202020-09-09 14:36:53Neznano12406UDK: 616.2ISSN pri članku: 2543-6031DOI: 10.5603/ARM.2020.0110COBISS_ID: 24724227OceCobissID: 2048457073sl© 2020 PTChP