Invasive Mechanical Ventilation Strategies For ICU Patients with COVID-19

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov January 6, 2025

Lung protective ventilation and prone positioning were used in many of the Danish ICU patients with COVID-19, but barotrauma, prolonged ventilation and death occurred frequently.

A total of 774 patients were invasively ventilated during the first two waves and included; 70% were males and the median age was 69 years.

340 (51.5%) of patients never exceeded tidal volumes of 8 mL/kg.

For all patients, tidal volumes under 8 mL/kg were applied in 77.6% (IQR 54.5%-96.2%) of the time on ventilator in the ICU; plateau pressure was below 30 cm H2O in 125 (80.6%) patients; prone positioning was used in 44.7% of patients.

In ICU, 169 of 774 (21.8%) patients experienced barotrauma and 220 (28.4%) prolonged ventilation. At 90 days, 306 (39.5%) had died.