Respiratory support for pneumonia patients in the COVID- 19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 respiratory disease pandemic caused by a type of Coronavirus, SARS-CoV 2, not previously known to infect humans, began in late 2019 and continues to this day. The clinical picture of the disease in adults is already well understood;risk factors for infection, disease severity, and mortality have been identified;diagnostic methods have been developed and successfully applied;virus spread control procedures are in place. However, despite such impressive advances, there is still no standard antiviral drug therapy nor recommendations for respiratory support for COVID-19 with proven effectiveness in pneumonia. There are currently several non-invasive respiratory support options for COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate respiratory disorders. These may significantly reduce the number of patients needing intubation and mechanical ventilation due to severe acute respiratory failure. That is why for patients with COVID-19 when choosing respiratory support, a balance must be struck between the clinical benefit of the intervention and the risk of intra-hospital spread of infection. It is important to note that during the treatment of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure, the full range of invasive and non-invasive lung ventilation options should be considered.