Rescue therapy by switching to total face mask after failure of face mask-delivered noninvasive ventilation in do-not-intubate patients in acute respiratory failure.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of switching to total face mask in cases where face mask-delivered noninvasive mechanical ventilation has already failed in do-not-intubate patients in acute respiratory failure.

Design And Setting: Prospective observational study in an ICU and a respiratory stepdown unit over a 12-month study period.

Intervention: Switching to total face mask, which covers the entire face, when noninvasive mechanical ventilation using facial mask (oronasal mask) failed to reverse acute respiratory failure.