Awake Proning: Current Evidence and Practical Considerations

JOURNAL TITLE: Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine

Author
1. Gunjan Chanchalani
ISSN
0972-5229
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10071-23684
Volume
24
Issue
12
Publishing Year
2020
Pages
6
Author Affiliations
    1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Article keywords

    Abstract

    Prone positioning has been shown to improve oxygenation for decades. However, proning in awake, non-intubated patients gained acceptance in the last few months since the onset of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To overcome the shortage of ventilators, to decrease the overwhelming burden on intensive care beds in the pandemic era, and also as invasive ventilation was associated with poor outcomes, proning of awake, spontaneously breathing patients gathered momentum. Being an intervention with minimal risk and requiring minimum assistance, it is now a globally accepted therapy to improve oxygenation in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients. We thus reviewed the literature of awake proning in non-intubated patients and described a safe protocol to practice the same.

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