Background: Mechanical ventilation is a life support treatment. Prolonged mechanical ventilation, defined as ventilation for 21 or more consecutive days with medical support.It has been shown to have significant effects on lung levels of inflammatory cells and soluble mediators. Low level laser therapy has become one of the most commonly used protocols in various physical therapy sub-specialties and cases. It has biostimulative and tissue regenerative properties as well as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of non-surgical gallium arsenide laser (905 nm) as an anti-inflammatory agent and its reflection on mechanical ventilator parameters, as well as inflammatory markers, in prolonged mechanically ventilated patients. Subjects and methods: this randomized control study was conducted on thirty prolonged mechanically ventilated patients. Their age ranges from 50 to 60 years old of both sexes. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. Group 1 (study group): fifteen patients (9males, 6 females), were enrolled into low energy gallium arsenide laser therapy daily for ten days in addition to the routine ICU physical therapy program, while, Group 2 (control group):fifteen patients (10 males,5 females), received routine ICU physical therapy program only. CRP, ESR, ventilator PEEPand ventilator pressure support were measured in both groups. Results: There was a statistical significant decrease in the mean values of CRPand ventilator pressure support of the study group compared with that of the control group post treatment and there was no statistical significant difference in the mean values of ESR and PEEP between the study and control groups post treatment. Conclusion: low energy laser therapy (905 nm) has a significant effect on inflammatory markers and weaning in prolonged mechanically ventilated patients.
