High-Flow Nasal Oxygen for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia in Greek Patients: A Prospective Observational Study

Journal article

INTRODUCTION: High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) and prone positioning may improve outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to describe outcomes following the timely application of HFNO and prone positioning in COVID-19 patients treated in a ward setting. METHODS: The study included 89 prospectively recruited subjects at the COVID-19 ward unit of the University Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, between March and December 2020. RESULTS: ratio. In multivariate analysis, PSI was the only independent predictor of subsequent HFNO needs (OR=1.022). Overall intubation and mortality rates were 5.6% and 3.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study shows that for patients with severe COVID-19 hospitalized in medical wards, standard COVID-19 treatment, along with the timely utilization of HFNO and prone positioning, resulted in excellent outcomes with fewer ICU admission rates.

Authors: IOANNOU, P; AKOUMIANAKIS, I; FILIPPATOS, TD; AKOUMIANAKI, E; CHAMILOS, G

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Kurume Medical Journal
• Journal: The Kurume Medical Journal
• Volume: 69
• Issue: 1.2
• Pages: 53-63
• Article number: MS69120013
• Publication date: 2022-06-30
• DOI: 10.2739/kurumemedj.ms69120013
• ISSN: 0023-5679
• Language: English
• Keywords: Observational study; Oxygen therapy; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Prospective cohort study; Outbreak; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Infectious disease (medical specialty); Internal medicine; Medicine; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Disease; Pneumonia; Virology; Intensive care medicine