INNOVATIONS IN EMERGENCY AIRWAY MANAGEMENT: LESSONSLEARNED FROM EARLY CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The Texas Tech University Center for Emerging Energy Sciences Research Group implemented rapid translation and analytics of Chinese COVID-19 medical literature in February 2020, which enabled emerging innovations in patient care. Specifically, techniques to optimize patient care through improved ventilation and oxygenation recognizing newly discovered pathophysiology were designed and prototyped in this invention. COVID-19 respiratory distress distinguishes itself from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pathophysiology of SARS-COV-2 by requiring higher O2 and lower pressure requirements for adequate oxygenation. Specifically, low positive end-expiratory pressure ventilator parameters are necessary to optimize patient care. Paradoxically, COVID-19 patients display severe "silent" hypoxemia often associated with near normal respiratory compliance. This clinical presentation is considered unusual for severe ARDS patients and implies non-uniformity in disease management of acute respiratory and pre-hospital patients. A clinical need for new innovative approaches to management that may also benefit decompression sickness, high altitude pulmonary edema and other chronic respiratory disease patients. We present these observations as an example of the need for closely-collaborating, plinary teams to rapid innovation when sudden, severe health threats first emerge. This approach is invaluable to medical innovations needed to counter threats due natural to man-made conditions.