Breathing face down

Massimo Lamperti; Luciano Gattinoni

doi:10.1016/j.bja.2022.01.024

Breathing face down

Br J Anaesth. 2022 May;128(5):745-747. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.01.024. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Authors

Massimo Lamperti¹, Luciano Gattinoni²

Affiliations

¹ Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: LamperM@clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae.
² Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Centre of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

Abstract

The prone position has been used to improve oxygenation in patients affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome, but its role in patients with COVID-19 is still unclear when these patients are breathing spontaneously. Mechanisms of ventilation and perfusion in the prone position are discussed, with new insights on how these changes relate to patients with COVID-19.

Keywords: ARDS; COVID-19; lung injury; noninvasive ventilation; oxygenation; prone positioning.

Publication types

Editorial
Comment

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Prone Position
Respiration
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Distress Syndrome* / etiology
Respiratory Distress Syndrome* / therapy