LUNG AERATION IN PRONE POSITION OF SPONTANEOUS BREATHING ADULTS WITH COVID-19
prone position; COVID-19; ultrasound; pulmonary aeration; pulmonary ventilation.
Introduction: COVID-19 is a disease that can lead to severe respiratory failure, but because it is a new pathology, diagnostic and evaluation resources are still limited. Some studies bring the use of lung ultrasound as an assessment tool for adults with COVID-19, serving as an aid to clinical practice. Objective: to assess the immediate effect of prone positioning (PP) on lung aeration in without ventilatory support adults with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: this case series was conducted at two ICU with without ventilatory support patients using supplemental oxygen. Data were collected from November 2020 to February 2021 in two ICUs in the city of Recife - Pernambuco, Brazil. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) were assessed before, during, and after PP. The lung ultrasound (score LUS) assessed lung aeration in the supine position before and immediately after PP. Results: A total of 14 patients aged 51.22±12.86 years were included; mostly female (72.2%) and using masks with oxygen flow rate of 15 L/min (61%). The PP decreased the HR (1h: 85.29±4.1 bpm, p<0.001; 2h: 86.29±4.60bpm, p=0.049) and RR (1h: 32.21±1.94ipm, p=0.023; 2h: 32.00±2.11ipm, p=0.012) and increased the SpO 2 (1h: 93.93±1.10%, p=0.012; 2h: 94.14±1.10%, p=0.012). Lung aeration (LUS score) was not different in the six lung zones before and after PP. Conclusion: PP decreased the HR and RR and increased SpO 2 of without ventilatory support patients with COVID-19 during the intervention. However, lung aeration did not change immediately after PP.