Awake prone positioning and oxygen therapy in patients with COVID-19: the APRONOX study.

BACKGROUND: The awake prone positioning strategy for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome is a safe, simple and cost-effective technique used to improve hypoxaemia. We aimed to evaluate intubation and mortality risk in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who underwent awake prone positioning during hospitalisation. METHODS: In this retrospective, multicentre observational study conducted between 1 May 2020 and 12 June 2020 in 27 hospitals in Mexico and Ecuador, nonintubated patients with COVID-19 managed with awake prone or awake supine positioning were included to evaluate intubation and mortality risk through logistic regression models; multivariable and centre adjustment, propensity score analyses, and E-values were calculated to limit confounding. RESULTS: 827 nonintubated patients with COVID-19 in the awake prone (n=505) and awake supine (n=322) groups were included for analysis. Fewer patients in the awake prone group required endotracheal intubation (23.6% versus 40.4%) or died (19.8% versus 37.3%). Awake prone positioning was a protective factor for intubation even after multivariable adjustment (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.24-0.52; p<0.0001, E=2.12), which prevailed after propensity score analysis (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27-0.62; p<0.0001, E=1.86) and mortality (adjusted OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.26-0.55; p<0.0001, E=2.03). The main variables associated with intubation among awake prone patients were increasing age, lower baseline peripheral arterial oxygen saturation/inspiratory oxygen fraction ratio (P aO2 /F IO2 ) and management with a nonrebreather mask. CONCLUSIONS: Awake prone positioning in hospitalised nonintubated patients with COVID-19 is associated with a lower risk of intubation and mortality.

Aplicaciones e implicaciones de la pausa al final de la inspiración en ventilación mecánica / Applications and implications of end-inspiratory pause in mechanical ventilation / Aplicações e implicações da pausa ao final da inspiração na ventilação mecânica

Resumen: El uso de la pausa al final de la inspiración (PFI) en ventilación mecánica data de hace más de 50 años y con mayor impulso en la década de los 70, se le atribuye una mejoría en la presión parcial de oxígeno arterial (PaO2) al incrementar la presión media de la vía aérea (Pma), mayor aclaramiento de la presión parcial de dióxido de carbono arterial (PaCO2) y permite la monitorización de la presión meseta (Pmeseta) en la mecánica ventilatoria; sin embargo, los estudios clínicos sobre su uso son escasos y controversiales. En este artículo se abordan los mecanismos fisiológicos, fisiopatológicos y la evidencia sobre el uso de la PFI en ventilación mecánica (VM).

Abstract: The use of the end inspiratory pause (EIP) in mechanical ventilation has been going on for more than 50 years and with greater momentum in the 1970s, an improvement in the partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) is attributed to the increase mean airway pressure, greater clearance of partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide and allows monitoring of plateau pressure in ventilatory mechanics; However, the Clinical studies on its use are few and controversial. This article addresses the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms and the evidence on the use of EIP in mechanical ventilation.

Resumo: A utilização da pausa ao final da inspiração (PFI) na ventilação mecânica remonta a mais de 50 anos e com maior impulso na década de 70, atribui-se uma melhora na pressão parcial de oxigênio arterial (PaO2) pelo aumento da pressão média das vias aéreas (Pma), uma maior depuração da pressão parcial de dióxido de carbono arterial (PaCO2) e permite a monitorização da pressão de platô (Pplateau) na mecânica ventilatória, porém estudos Os dados clínicos sobre seu uso são escassos e controversos. Este artigo aborda os mecanismos fisiológicos e fisiopatológicos e as evidências sobre o uso do PFI na ventilação mecânica (VM).