Recommendations on the Usage of Respiratory Support in Patients with COVID-19

Cueva Palacios G.M.; Chunga Castilla C.P.; Bernaola Vallejos L.R. · Revista Cubana de Medicina General Integral (2025)

Resumen

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease discovered in late 2019 in Wuhan. To date, 45 805 060 cases have been reported, of which 29.8 million have recovered and 1.19 million have died. There are evidence-based guidelines of levels C or D, one of which suggests early intubation in cases where the patient is tachypneic, hemodynamically unstable, and has increased respiratory effort and hypoxemia with high demand in the fraction of inspired oxygen. Objective: To analyze the evidence and recommendations regarding the use of respiratory support in patients with COVID-19. Methods: A narrative review of the literature on the use of respiratory support in patients with COVID-19 was conducted. Original and secondary articles published up to October 2020 in the MEDLINE (PubMed), SciELO, and LILACS databases were included. Subsequently, snowball sampling was applied. Conclusions: Early mechanical ventilation is recommended if noninvasive ventilation fails, used in cases of mild hypoxemia. Early prone positioning reduces mortality in both patients without assisted ventilation and those who require noninvasive ventilation and invasive mechanical ventilation.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego