The role of prone positioning in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome - A literature review

AbstractAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has high mortality and multiple therapeutic strategies have been used to improve the outcome. Inhaled nitric oxide (INO), a pulmonary vasodilator, is used to improve oxygenation. This study was conducted to determine the role of sildenafil, an oral vasodilator, to improve oxygenation and mortality in pediatric ARDS (PARDS). The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in PARDS was studied as well. Inclusion criteria included children (1–18 years) with ARDS requiring invasive ventilation admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Northern India over a 1-year period of time. Thirty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. Cardiologist performed a detailed echocardiogram to determine pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). Patients with persistent hypoxemia were started on oral sildenafil. The majority (77%) patients had a primary pulmonary etiology of PARDS. Elevated PAP (>25 mm Hg) was detected in 54.3% patients at admission. Sildenafil was given to 20 patients who had severe and persistent hypoxemia. Oxygenation improved in most patients after the first dose with statistically significant improvement in PaO2/FiO2 ratios at both 12 and 24 hours following initiation of therapeutic dosing of sildenafil. Improvement in oxygenation occurred irrespective of initial PAP. Outcomes included a total of 57.1% patients discharged, 28.6% discharged against medical advice (DAMA), and a 14.3% mortality rate. Mortality was related to the severity of PARDS and not the use of sildenafil. This is the first study to determine the effect of sildenafil in PARDS. Sildenafil led to improvement in oxygenation in nearly all the cases without affecting mortality. Due to unavailability of INO in most centers of developing countries, sildenafil may be considered as an inexpensive alternative in cases of persistent hypoxemia in PARDS. We recommend additional randomized controlled trials to confirm the effect of sildenafil in PARDS as determined in this study.

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An Evidence-Based Protocol for Manual Prone Positioning of Patients With ARDS

Critical Care Nurse ◽

10.4037/ccn2021900 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (6) ◽

pp. 55-60

Author(s):

Patrick Ryan ◽

Cynthia Fine ◽

Christine DeForge

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽

Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽

Respiratory Distress ◽

Distress Syndrome ◽

Medical Center ◽

Academic Medical Center ◽

Prone Positioning ◽

Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure ◽

Unplanned Extubations

Background Manual prone positioning has been shown to reduce mortality among patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, but it is associated with a high incidence of pressure injuries and unplanned extubations. This study investigated the feasibility of safely implementing a manual prone positioning protocol that uses a dedicated device. Review of Evidence A search of CINAHL and Medline identified multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses that demonstrated both the reduction of mortality when prone positioning is used for more than 12 hours per day in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and the most common complications of this treatment. Implementation An existing safe patient-handling device was modified to enable staff to safely perform manual prone positioning with few complications for patients receiving mechanical ventilation. All staff received training on the protocol and use of the device before implementation. Evaluation This study included 36 consecutive patients who were admitted to the medical intensive care unit at a large academic medical center because of hypoxemic respiratory failure/acute respiratory distress syndrome and received mechanical ventilation and prone positioning. Data were collected on clinical presentation, interventions, and complications. Sustainability Using the robust protocol and the low-cost device, staff can safely perform a low-volume, high-risk maneuver. This method provides cost savings compared with other prone positioning methods. Conclusions Implementing a prone positioning protocol with a dedicated device is feasible, with fewer complications and lower costs than anticipated.

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