Med Clin (Barc). 2020 Dec 26:S0025-7753(20)30884-8. doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2020.11.036. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In December 2019, Wuhan, China, experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some patients admitted to our hospital were treated with early prone positioning (PP). Here, we analyzed its clinical significance.
METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. We defined the early PP group as mild COVID-19 patients who were placed into a prone position within 24h of admission; others served as the control group. We recorded basic data and outcomes of early PP and compared the results to those of controls.
RESULTS: After 1 day of treatment, oxygenation was greater in the early PP group than in the control group (P/F: 421.6±39.74 vs. 382.1±38.84mmHg [1mmHg=0.133kPa], p<0.01). And early PP group spent less total time in prone position (11.1±4.17 vs. 16.9±5.20 days, p<0.01), and required shorter hospitalization duration (12.2±4.49 vs. 23.2±4.83 days, p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Early PP treatment can improve hypoxia and shorten the prone position time and hospitalization duration in mild COVID-19 patients. It is a potential clinically applicable intervention.
PMID:33478810 | DOI:10.1016/j.medcli.2020.11.036