Effectiveness and safety of non invasive pressure ventilation in severe COVID-19 disease: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has a controversial role in treating acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in Severe COVID-19 disease. Noninvasive ventilation has been known to avoid intubation and prevent complications associated with mechanical ventilation, but the risk of aerosolization and consequent contraction of disease deterred clinicians from using it.
Materials and Methods : The medical records of 18 patients having severe COVID -19 disease with Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), who received NIV therapy in a tertiary care hospital were scrutinized from a period of 15 June 2020 to 28 June 2020. The parameters like respiratory rate (RR)and PaO2/FiO2(PF ratio) and SOFA score were collected from the day of admission to 5th day of ICU stay. Other parameters like outcomes of NIV therapy, complications and time taken from weaning from NIV were recorded. Forty-five health care workers, involved in the treatment were educated about use of PPE and NIV and were tested for COVID -19 by RT-PCR post-ICU rotation.