NON-INVASIVE VENTILATION FOR ADULTS WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is defined as acute inflammation of the lung parenchyma and is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and hospitalizations. In more severe cases, patients require invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), but an increasing number of patients are being treated with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) before undergoing endotracheal intubation (ETI). Objective: To gather information through analysis of recent studies on the use of NIV in adults with CAP. Methodology: This study is a bibliographic review. The search was conducted in August and September 2025, in the MEDLINE/PubMed and PEDro databases. MeSH descriptors were used, combined with the Boolean operator AND. Studies published between 2015 and 2025, in English, available in full text and free of charge, were included. Screening was carried out in two stages: first, titles and abstracts were reviewed, followed by full-text reading, applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. From a total of 75 articles initially identified, 14 were selected to compose this review. Results: Of 75 studies initially identified through the indexed databases, only 14 studies were selected according to the established criteria. Conclusion: We conclude that NIV is an effective treatment for CAP, and the evidence analyzed shows positive results. However, future studies are needed, including larger samples and investigating outcomes not discussed in the trials included in this review.