Successful management of H1N1 related severe acute respiratory distress syndrome with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life threatening complication of H1N1 pneumonia. According to the Berlin conference guidelines, severe ARDS requires management with early invasive mechanical ventilation. Whether noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) should be attempted in patients with H1N1 pneumonia is still a matter of debate. We report the case of one patient with severe ARDS without other organ failure. The patient was managed successfully using NIPPV. Endotracheal intubation was avoided and the patient was discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) after 10 days with a successful outcome. NIPPV can be useful in patients with isolated severe H1N1 ARDS provided early improvement of the oxygenation parameters is achieved. Patients with multiple organ failure or with persistent severe hypoxemia under noninvasive ventilation should be electively intubated and started on invasive mechanical ventilation.