Flail chest after blunt trauma usually requires good pain control and positive pressure support. Continuous negative extrathoracic pressure (CNEP) causes a splinting effect around the anterior chest wall and upper abdomen which increases functional residual capacity and improves lung mechanics. We report an 82-year-old woman with flail chest after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She underwent mechanical ventilation, with two failed attempts at extubation. She was subsequently ventilated non-invasively using CNEP, allowing early successful extubation. This case illustrates the use of CNEP for weaning and ventilating patients with flail chest after blunt trauma.