Patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure who receive oxygen via a helmet interface likely have better survival rates than those given standard oxygen therapy, a systematic review shows.

Canadian researchers say helmet non-invasive ventilation — including bilevel ventilation and CPAP — may also cut the risk of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital and ICU stays versus standard treatment.

“We demonstrate helmet bilevel ventilation and CPAP are effective across outcomes (moderate certainty), particularly as compared to the facemask interface,” the authors wrote in CHEST.

In their analysis of 36 trials including more than 7000 patients (mean age 59), the team compared the efficacy of various non-invasive oxygenation strategies to standard oxygen therapy for acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF).