Prone position improves breathing – naturopathy & naturopathy specialist portal

In what position should people with COVID-19 be in bed?

In the event of a serious illness caused by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), mechanical ventilation is used to make breathing easier for the person concerned. A new study shows that in such a case the prone position in bed is beneficial for the lungs.

A recent study by the Southeast University in China found that people with severe COVID-19 infection-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) supported by mechanical ventilation respond positively to the prone position in the bedside. The results of the study were published in the English-language journal “American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine”.

The majority of the severe courses developed ARDS

The researchers reported on their retrospective study of the treatment of twelve patients at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in China. These suffered from severe COVID-19 infection-related acute lung failure (ARDS) and were supported by mechanical ventilation. The majority of people affected who were admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed COVID-19 developed ARDS.

Some people did not respond well to the pressure treatment

The study includes the first description of the behavior of the lungs in patients with severe COVID-19 who require mechanical ventilation and are treated with positive pressure. It turned out that some people did not respond well to high overpressure and should lie in their prone position in their bed.

What was examined?

In their study, the researchers assessed the effect of body positioning. The prone position was carried out over a period of 24 hours during which the patients had a persistently low oxygen supply to the blood. Oxygen flow, lung volume and airway pressure were measured. Other measurements were also taken, including ventilation of their airways, and calculations to measure recruitability.

Three of the participants died

Seven patients received at least one prone session. Three patients received both prone sessions and ECMO (life support measures that replace heart and lung function). Three of the patients died.

Solitary supine was associated with poor recruitment

If the patients were not placed on the stomach, they showed poor recruitment of the lungs, while alternating supine and prone positions was associated with increased recruitment of the lungs.

Lungs improved with prone position

It was only a small number of patients, but the study shows that many of the affected people did not reopen their lungs under high pressure, and trying to increase the pressure could do more harm than good, the report says Researchers. In contrast, the lungs improve when the patient is prone. (as)