Prone Positioning on Non-intubated COVID 19 Patients in Hypoxic Respiratory Distress: Single Site Retrospective Health Records Review

ABSTRACT Introduction In March and April 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic, site clinical practice guidelines were implemented for prone positioning of awake, alert, spontaneously breathing suspected COVID-19 patients in hypoxic respiratory distress. The purpose of this pandemic disaster practice improvement project was to measure changes in pulse oximetry associated with prone positioning on awake, alert, spontaneously breathing non-intubated adult acute respiratory distress, or ARDS, patients with COVID-19 infection. Methods A retrospective chart review of ED COVID-19 positive patients from 3/30/2020 to 4/30/2020 was conducted for patients with a room air pulse oximetry Results Of the 440 COVID-19 patients, 31 met inclusion criteria. Median pulse oximetry increased as 83% (IQR= 75%-86%) on room air, 90% (IQR=89%-93%) with supplemental oxygen, and 96% (IQR=94%-98%) with prone positioning (x.xx, p Conclusion In awake, alert, and spontaneously breathing patients with COVID-19, an initially low pulse oximetry reading improved with prone positioning. Future studies are needed to determine the association of prone positioning with subsequent endotracheal intubation and mortality.