Noninvasive mechanical ventilation in a patient with respiratory failure after hematopoietic progenitor transplantation

Respiratory failure requiring orotracheal intubation (OTI) and mechanical v entilation (MV) is almost always a fatal complication in patients who under go hematopoietic progenitor transplantation (HPT). We present the case of a woman who suffered respiratory failure with bilateral infiltrates on a che st X-ray taken on day +14 following autologous bone marrow transplantation. We managed the patient satisfactorily with noninvasive ventilation, avoidi ng OTI. We believe that patients with non-progressive pulmonary lesions and without multiple system organ failure, may be correctly managed with nonin vasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV).