Serena Bensai Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy: * Dual authorship
Stefano Oldani Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy; * Dual authorship
Lara Bertolovic Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Cristiano Colinelli Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Siro Simoncelli Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Corrado Ghirotti Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Vanni Agnoletti Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, M. Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy
Stefano Maitan Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, G.B. Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Luca Mezzatesta Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, M. Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy
Giorgia Valpiani Research Innovation Office, S. Anna University Hospital of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Claudia Ravaglia Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy
Venerino Poletti Department of Diseases of the Thorax, GB Morgagni Hospital, Forlì (FC), Italy; Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical, Integrated and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), School of Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Italy
DOI: 10.36166/2531-4920-561
Introduction. To face the second outbreak of COVID-19, our Respiratory Ward at Morgagni- Pierantoni General Hospital (Forlì FC, Italy) underwent a reorganization and a Respiratory Semi-Intensive Care Unit (RSICU) of 16 beds was created. Material and methods. In this monocentric, retrospective, cohort study we report our experience in treating patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 infection. Results. 108 patients were admitted to our RSICU between the beginning of October and 31st December 2020 and included in this study, with a median PaO2/FiO2 of 133.5 mmHg [IQR 85.8-170.8]. CPAP therapy was the most used support system (64.8%) and was associated with the lowest mortality (14.3%). NIV was provided to 29 patients (26.8%), with higher mortality (41.3%, n = 12) and intubation rates (n = 6) compared to the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) cohort. Only 10 (9.5%) patients out of 108 underwent intubation, 6 (60%) of whom died. Coronary hearth diseases (CHD) and hypertension were higher among non-survivor, while there was no significant difference for IL-6 and D-dimer levels and CT Severity Score.
Discussion. The use of non-invasive ventilation was correlated with need of intubation only in few patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 related acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). CPAP therapy showed the best outcomes, with a mortality rate of 14.3% (n = 10). The histopathologic, CT and pathophysiological features of the L-phenotype suggest that in these COVID-19 patients, intubation and high PEEP might not be necessary for alveolar recruitment. Thus, a non-invasive approach can be appropriate, and this is consistent with our data. Pre-existing comorbidities might also affect the outcome of COVID-19.
Conclusions. Our findings indicate that non-invasive ventilation, particularly CPAP therapy is feasible and can be effective in treating in deteriorating COVID-19 patients, reducing the need for ICUs transferal.