Abstract

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a method of positive pressure ventilation that does not require an endotracheal tube. NIV is used in pediatrics in numerous clinical conditions, but it is necessary to systematize the available knowledge to better understand its application and effectiveness in disease management.

Objective: To discuss the scientific evidence published in the last five years (2011 to 2016) regarding the use of NIV in children and adolescents.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in the databases PEDro and MEDLINE using the descriptors: noninvasive ventilation, pediatrics, children and adolescent. We selected articles with participants aged from zero to 20 years, regardless of pathology, who were submitted to NIV in the hospital or at home. We excluded studies that did not have the assessment of NIV as the main objective.

Results: Initially, 377 articles were identified, of these, 123 articles were excluded because of the title, year or duplicity, 147 because of the abstract, and 73 after full reading. Thus, 34 articles were included in the review. Of the 34 articles evaluated, only two reported side effects for NIV, but the benefits outweigh the side effects mentioned.

Conclusion: NIV has become a reality well established and studied in pediatrics in numerous diseases. In the review, we demonstrated that NIV is safe, viable and effective for the treatment of acute respiratory failure, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, nocturnal alveolar hypoventilation, acute viral bronchiolitis, neuromuscular disease, asthma and cystic fibrosis, and that it can be used as therapy at home.

Keywords: Invasive ventilation, lung disease, non-invasive ventilation, pediatrics, pulmonary diseases, severity.

Graphical Abstract