Proning Patients With COVID-19: A Review of Equipment and Methods

Lessons Learned From Ventilated and Proned Patients With COVID-19: A Multisite Retrospective Study to Identify Predictive Factors for Facial Pressure Injuries

BACKGROUND

Many patients critically ill with COVID-19 develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) necessitating mechanical ventilation and proning. Although proning is lifesaving, it has been linked to the occurrence of facial pressure injuries (PIs).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the incidence and use of prevention strategies and identify predictors of facial PIs in patients who received ventilator and proning treatments in COVID-designated intensive care units at 2 large quaternary medical centers in the Midwest.

METHOD

This was a retrospective cohort study using data extracted from an electronic health record between October 2020 and February 2022. Demographics, clinical and care variables, and PI outcomes were analyzed to identify predictors of PI using logistic and Cox regression.

RESULTS

The cohort (N = 150) included patients from 2 units, unit a (n = 97) and unit b (n = 53) with a mean age of 60 years, with 68% identifying as male. Patients were vented for an average of 18 (SD, 16.2) days and proned for an average of 3 (SD, 2.5) days. Many (71%) died. Over half (56%) developed facial PI with a proning-exposure-adjusted incidence rate of 18.5%. Patients with PI were significantly different in several factors. Logistic regression showed predictors of PIs were duration of mechanical ventilation (in days; P = .02) and head turned (P = .01). Cox regression also identified head turn as predictive (P < .01), with Black/African American race as protective (P = .03).

DISCUSSION

Critically ill patients with COVID-19 receiving ventilator and proning therapy developed facial PIs despite the use of recommended prevention practices. Further research on effective PI prevention strategies is needed.

Is prone positioning a valid intervention for ARDS in the deployed intensive care unit?

Prone positioning is an intervention used for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) whose hypoxia is worsening despite conventional treatment. Previously used infrequently, it became an important treatment escalation strategy for hypoxia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current evidence for prone positioning suggests increased survivability in intubated patients with moderate to severe ARDS who are prone for >12 hours a day. As a relatively low-cost, low-tech intervention with a growing evidence base, the viability of prone positioning in the deployed land environment is considered in this article. The practical technique of prone positioning is easy to teach to healthcare staff experienced in manual handling. However, it requires significant resources, in particular staff numbers, and time to execute and maintain, and necessitates a pressure-minimising mattress. Additionally, staff are placed at increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries and potential exposure to aerosolised microbes if there is a disconnection of the breathing system. We conclude that in the deployed 2/1/2/12 facility (or larger), with access to higher staff numbers and high-specification mattresses, prone positioning is a valid escalation technique for intubated hypoxic patients with ARDS. However, in smaller facilities where resources are constrained, its implementation is unlikely to be achievable.

Incidence of pressure ulcers due to prone position in patients admitted to the ICU for Covid-19

The appearance of pressure ulcers (PU) is one of the frequent complications of prone position (PP), due to prolonged pressure and shear forces.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the incidence of pressure ulcers secondary to prone position and describe their location among four Intensive Care Units (ICU) of public hospitals.

METHODS

Multicenter descriptive and retrospective observational study. The population consisted of patients admitted to the ICU between February 2020 and May 2021, diagnosed with Covid-19 who required prone decubitus. The variables studied were sociodemographic, days of admission to the ICU, total hours on PP, PU prevention, location, stage, frequency of postural changes, nutrition and protein intake. Data collection was carried out through the clinical history of the different computerized databases of each hospital. Descriptive analysis and association between variables were performed using SPSS vs.20.0.

RESULTS

A total of 574 patients were admitted for Covid-19, 43.03% were pronated. 69.6% were men, median age was 66 (IQR 55-74) and BMI 30.7 (RIC 27-34.2). Median ICU stay was 28 days (IQR 17-44.2), median hours on PD per patient 48 h (IQR 24-96). The incidence of PU occurrence was 56.3%, 76.2% of patients presented a PU, the most frequent location was the forehead (74.9%). There were significant differences between hospitals in terms of PU incidence (P = .002), location (P = .000) and median duration of hours per PD episode (P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of pressure ulcers due to the prone position was very high. There is great variability in the incidence of pressure ulcers between hospitals, location and average duration of hours per episode of prone position.

Development of prone positioning and skin damage prevention digital education: the PRONEtect project

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of skin/tissue damage, such as pressure ulcers, remains high in mechanically ventilated patients in the prone position. According to guidelines, critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) should be prone for at least 12-16 hours to improve oxygenation and decrease mortality. Therefore, educating clinicians on how to reposition and manage the patient safely in a prone position plays a vital role in preventing adverse events. This project aimed to develop accessible online educational content to assist clinicians in safely executing the prone manoeuvre and minimise skin/tissue damage.

METHOD

The development of the educational content was based on: a gap analysis and comprehensive review of available educational resources; evidence-based scientific literature; advice from international experts; and a qualitative study exploring the learning needs of 20 clinicians in Belgium and Sweden between February-August 2022.

RESULTS

Volunteer clinicians assisted with the creation of eight simulation videos which were professionally filmed and edited. The interactive videos included the supine-to-prone and prone-to-supine manoeuvres, endotracheal and nasogastric tube securement, eye care, stoma care, protecting high-risk areas from pressure damage, and incontinence-associated dermatitis prevention. A prone positioning protocol, a checklist summarising the key aspects of the protocol, and teaching aids (slide deck for didactic lecturing) were developed and validated by a review of the relevant evidence-based literature and the international expert panel. A website was designed to host the content, with free user access, at www.pronetection.com.

CONCLUSION

Education is one strategy towards prevention of complications of prone positioning. Accessible education could assist clinicians unfamiliar with prone positioning or current clinicians requiring refresher training to safely manage patients in this position.

Vloga izvajalcev zdravstvene nege pri pronaciji in supinaciji intubiranega pacienta s hudim akutnim respiratornim sindromom koronavirus-2

Uvod: Hud akutni respiratorni sindrom koronavirus-2 je s svojo intenzivnostjo močno vplival na razmere in delo v enotah intenzivne terapije. Pri vse več intubiranih pacientih z akutnim respiratornim distresnim sindromom se je pokazala potreba po pronaciji (obrat na trebuh). Namen raziskave je bil preučiti vlogo izvajalcev zdravstvene nege pri pronaciji in supinaciji (obrat na hrbet) pacienta ter ugotoviti najpogostejše zaplete, ki se ob tem lahko pojavijo.Metode: Uporabljen je bil pregled znanstvene in strokovne literature. Iskanje literature je potekalo v podatkovnih bazah PubMed, Sage in ScienceDirect ter Google Scholar. Vključene so bile raziskave od januarja 2020 do decembra 2021. Izvedena je bila vsebinska analiza raziskav.Rezultati: Skupno je bilo identificiranih 993 člankov. Dodanih je bilo še deset člankov, najdenih s prostoročnim iskanjem v Google Scholar. Izmed 1.003 identificiranih zadetkov je bilo v končno analizo vključenih osem člankov. Izpostavljena so bila tri glavna vsebinska področja: (1) vloga izvajalcev zdravstvene nege pred pronacijo intubiranega pacienta; (2) vloga izvajalcev zdravstvene nege med pronacijo intubiranega pacienta in (3) vloga izvajalcev zdravstvene nege pri supinaciji intubiranega pacienta.Diskusija in zaključek: Pronacija in supinacija intubiranega pacienta predstavljata velik izziv za celoten zdravstveni tim, ki je v času epidemije okrnjen tako številčno kot tudi glede na stopnjo usposobljenosti. Izvajalec zdravstvene nege mora ob teh intervencijah zagotoviti hemodinamsko stabilnost, pravilno pozicioniranje pacienta, preprečiti ekstubacijo in izpade različnih katetrov, zaščititi kožo in vseskozi izvajati potrebne aktivnosti zdravstvene nege.

[Incidence of pressure ulcers due to prone position in patients admitted to the ICU for Covid-19]

The appearance of pressure ulcers (PU) is one of the frequent complications of prone position (PP), due to prolonged pressure and shear forces.

Objectives

To compare the incidence of pressure ulcers secondary to prone position and describe their location among four Intensive Care Units (ICU) of public hospitals.

Methods

Multicenter descriptive and retrospective observational study. The population consisted of patients admitted to the ICU between February 2020 and May 2021, diagnosed with Covid-19 who required prone decubitus. The variables studied were sociodemographic, days of admission to the ICU, total hours on PP, PU prevention, location, stage, frequency of postural changes, nutrition and protein intake. Data collection was carried out through the clinical history of the different computerized databases of each hospital. Descriptive analysis and association between variables were performed using SPSS vs.20.0.

Results

A total of 574 patients were admitted for Covid-19, 43.03% were pronated. 69.6% were men, median age was 66 (IQR 55-74) and BMI 30.7 (RIC 27-34.2). Median ICU stay was 28 days (IQR 17-44.2), median hours on PD per patient 48 h (IQR 24-96). The incidence of PU occurrence was 56.3%, 76.2% of patients presented a PU, the most frequent location was the forehead (74.9%). There were significant differences between hospitals in terms of PU incidence (p = 0.002), location (p < 0.001) and median duration of hours per PD episode (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

The incidence of pressure ulcers due to the prone position was very high. There is great variability in the incidence of pressure ulcers between hospitals, location and average duration of hours per episode of prone position.

Challenges of Gastric Versus Post-pyloric Feeding in COVID-19 Disease

Purpose of the Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented challenge to the critical care providers caring for those patients, including the delivery of nutrition. This review will address the challenges of gastric versus post gastric feeding in patients in COVID-19 disease.

Recent Recommendations

Many societies, including American, British, and Australian recommend initiating of enteral feeding in COVID-19 patients as soon as 24 h of ICU admission or within 12 h after intubation. Consideration for post-pyloric feeding if there is evidence of intolerance to gastric feeding.

Summary

The same principle for non-COVID-19 critically ill patients applies to COVID-19 patients when it comes to the route of nutritional delivery. Gastric feeding should be initiated as soon as 24 h of admission to the ICU, and post gastric feeding should be reserved to patients who demonstrate gastric feeding intolerance.

Optimizing nursing workload in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic: Planning prone positioning

Background

Prone positioning is a complex, time-consuming task, involving significant intensive care unit staff. The increased workload during the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced staffing boosted the burden of intensive care unit nurses, which might have a negative impact on patients' safety and outcomes.

Methods

Retrospective chart review, analysing the hourly distribution of pronation and supination procedures in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients during the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-May 2021).

Results

303 procedures were analysed: 77 pronation manoeuvres out of 156 (49.3%) and 82 supination out of 147 (55.8%) were performed in dedicated time slots in the afternoon (15.30-19.00) and in the morning (9.30-12.30) shifts, when the nursing staff was increased. At least five healthcare providers performed pronation manoeuvres. Six device displacements were registered.

Conclusions

Planning complex activities such as prone positioning needs an effective strategy to optimize nursing staff workload in the intensive care unit. This organization allowed to perform pronation cycles with a duration of at least 16 h, according to current clinical recommendations.

Prone Chest Radiographs: Distinguishing Features and Identification of Support Devices

Purpose

Prone position is known to improve acute lung injury, and chest radiographs are often necessary to monitor disease and confirm support device placement. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding radiographs obtained in this position. We evaluated prone radiographs for distinguishing features and ability to identify support devices.

Methods

Pairs of prone and supine radiographs obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed retrospectively. IRB approval and waiver of informed consent were obtained. Radiographs were assessed for imaging adequacy, distinguishing features, and support device identification (endotracheal tube, enteric tube, or central line). Radiographs were reviewed by ≥ 2 cardiothoracic radiologists.

Results

Radiographs from 81 patients (63yo ± 13, 30% women) were reviewed. Prone and supine radiographs were comparable for imaging the lung bases (81% vs. 90%, p = 0.35) and apices (93% vs. 94%, p = 1); prone radiographs more frequently had significant rotation (36% vs. 19%, p = 0.021). To identify prone technique, scapula tip located beyond the rib border was 89% sensitive (95%CI 80–95%) and 85% specific (76–92%), and a fundal stomach bubble was 44% sensitive (33–56%) and 90% specific (81–96%). For women, displaced breast shadow was 46% sensitive (26–67%) and 92% specific (73–99%). Prone and supine radiographs each identified > 99% of support devices. Prone exams trended toward increased rate of malpositioned device (12% vs. 6%, p = 0.07).

Conclusion

Scapula position reliably distinguishes prone from supine position; fundal stomach bubble or displaced breast shadow is specific for prone position. Prone radiographs reliably identify line and tube position, which is particularly important as prone patients appear at increased risk for malpositioned devices.

Evaluation of a Pneumatic Vest to Treat Symptoms of ARDS Caused by COVID-19

Critical care patients who experience symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome are commonly placed on mechanical ventilators to increase the oxygen provided to their pulmonary systems and monitor their condition. With the pulmonary inflammation typically accompanying ARDS, patients can experience lower ventilation-perfusion ratios resulting in lower blood oxygenation. In these cases, patients are typically rotated into a prone position to facilitate improved blood flow to portions of the lung that were not previously participating in the gas exchange process. However, proning a patient increases the risk of complications, requires up to seven hospital staff members to carry out, and does not guarantee an improvement in the patient's condition. The low-cost vest presented here was designed to reproduce the effects of proning while also requiring less hospital staff than the proning process. Additionally, the V/Q Vest helps hospital staff predict whether patients would respond well to a proning treatment. A pilot study was conducted on nine patients with ARDS from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The average increase in oxygenation with the V/Q Vest treatment for all patients was 19.7 ± 38.1%. Six of the nine patients responded positively to the V/Q Vest treatment, exhibiting increased oxygenation. The V/Q Vest also helped hospital staff predict that three of the five patients that were proned would experience an increase in oxygenation. An increase in oxygenation resulting from V/Q Vest treatment exceeded that of the proning treatment in two of these five proned patients.

Use of the prone position in pregnant women with COVID-19 or other health conditions

OBJECTIVE

to analyze, in the scientific literature, the knowledge available on the use of the prone position in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 or other health conditions.

METHOD

an integrative literature review developed through the following guiding question: What is the scientific knowledge available on the use of the prone position in pregnant women with COVID-19 or other health conditions? The search for studies was carried out in eight databases.

RESULTS

using the prone position in pregnant women with Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome allowed for improvements in lung compliance and oxygenation. It also allowed reducing uterine compression on the maternal large vessels, and a reduction in blood pressure was observed in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia. The prone position was also safe in the surgical management of pregnant patients. In addition, the following conditions stood out as disadvantages related to the prone position in pregnant women: possibility of aortocaval compression, causing severe hypotension, and inability to easily monitor fetal status or to perform emergency Cesarean sections.

CONCLUSION

the prone position was considered safe, reliable and comfortable for its use in the clinical management of pregnant women, where specific care measures must be taken to avoid compression of gravid abdomen, as well as fetal monitoring is important to detect placental circulation impairment.

Manual proning of a morbidly obese COVID-19 patient: A case report

Continuously rising numbers of obese critical care patients pose many challenges to the healthcare workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, proning may be one of the most labour-intensive tasks. Prone positioning is performed manually in hospitals where mechanical lifting aids are unavailable; however, the exact method of manual proning is not explicitly described in the literature. Here, we present a case of a morbidly obese patient with COVID-19 pneumonitis in the intensive care unit with a step-by-step guide of the manual proning technique. Our approach is simple and feasible, as only readily available tools, such as bed sheets and friction-reducing sheets, are used.

Multidisciplinary team approach in critically ill COVID-19 patients reduced pronation-related complications rate: A retrospective cohort study

Background

In the pandemic scenario, critically ill COVID-19 patients' management presented an increased workload for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nursing staff, particularly during pronation maneuvers, with high risk of complications. In this contest, some authors described an increase in complications incidence after pronation. An ICU Pronation Team (IPT) was implemented to support this maneuver.

Material and methods

Retrospective analysis was conducted on consecutive critically ill COVID-19 patients in COVID-19 Center in southern Switzerland, between March and April 2020. Aim of the study was to determine rates and characteristics of pronation-related complications managed by IPT according to standard protocols.

Results

Forty-two patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) were enrolled; 296 prone/supine positioning were performed, with 3.52 cycles/patient. All patients were equipped with arterial line, central venous catheter, urinary catheter, 28 (66%) endotracheal tube, 8 (19%), tracheostomy, 6 (14%) dialysis catheter, 3 (7%) abdominal drainage and 8 (19%) femoral thermodilution catheter; mean BMI was 28.3 kg/m². One (0.3%) major complication was observed, while fourteen (33.3%) patients developed minor complications (pressure injuries). ICU length-of-stay and MV days correlated with both incidence (p = 0.029 and p = 0.015 respectively) and number (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001 respectively) of pressure sores (n = 27). Propensity matching score analysis did not show any protective factor of pronation regarding pressure injuries (p = 0.448). No other significant correlation was found.

Conclusion

Multidisciplinary healthcare professional management can reduce most severe complication related to pronation in critical care setting. Rather than from pronation, the persistent high rate of minor complications appeared to be related to disease severity.