Supportive Care in Patients with Critical COVID-19

Specific therapies for the treatment COVID-19 have limited efficacy in the event a patient worsens clinically and requires admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Thus, providing quality supportive care is essential to the overall management of patients with critical COVID-19. Intubated patients with COVID-19 should receive established ARDS supportive care that was established prior to the pandemic including low tidal volume ventilation and prone ventilation. Patients with respiratory failure not requiring intubation should be supported with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure or high flow oxygenation. The use of these respiratory modalities may prevent patients from subsequently requiring intubation. While the proning of nonintubated patients is intriguing, its clinical benefit has not been established. Finally, basic components of supportive care for the critically ill, including DVT prophylaxis and minimization of delirium and should be applied equally to patients with COVID-19 in the ICU.
Source: Infectious Diseases Clinics of North America - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research