Introduction:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability, especially in young people, with a high social impact due to care costs and lost productivity. Mechanical ventilation (MV) is essential in treating patients with severe TBI. Still, its prolonged use in intensive care units (ICU) can lead to complications such as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This article reviews the impact of MV in severe TBI, analyzing management strategies, benefits, risks, and treatment options to improve the prognosis of these critical patients.

Methodology:

A systematic review was performed by electronic search of studies indexed in “PubMed”, “Scielo”, and “Google Scholar”. Results: Of the 42 articles found in the review, 30 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria or because they met some exclusion criteria, leaving 13 articles for this review.

Conclusions:

MV is crucial in the management of severe TBI by providing essential respiratory support. However, its prolonged use increases the risk of complications such as VAPM and other pulmonary infections. An individualized approach and more prospective studies are needed to optimize management, prevent respiratory complications, and improve clinical outcomes.

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