A transparent, airtight helmet is better than intubation to provide breathing support to patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found. In the 83-patient study, all patients required mechanical breathing assistance. They were randomly assigned to either the helmet or a standard mask over the nose, mouth and chin. The helmet was less likely to leak, which enabled the healthcare providers to increase the air pressure in the helmet to help keep the airway and lung open and improve oxygen levels. Patients also found the helmet more comfortable and easier to tolerate. "In this group of critically ill patients, the helmet made a substantial difference," said pulmonologist Dr. John Kress, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and senior author of the study. "The University's data and safety monitoring board recommended that we stop the trial early because the helmet consistently demonstrated multiple advantages, particularly the reduced need to intubate patients and longer-term reduction in mortality." More