[Experience Caring for a Severe COVID-19 Patient With ARDS in the Intensive Care Unit]

The author's experience caring for a patient with COVID-19 whose condition deteriorated rapidly into a critical illness in the negative pressure room of the intensive care unit is described in this article. The onset of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome led this patient to receive endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation and subsequent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for life support. He was isolated in the negative air pressure room in the intensive care unit for infection control for this emerging respiratory infectious disease. This patient was also confronted with emotional pressures arising from the general uncertainty regarding the progress of this novel disease and from being isolated from the outside world. The care period was from April 5th to May 12th, 2020. The data was collected through direct care, written conversations, physical communication, observation, medical record reviews, diagnosis reports, and nursing assessments of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual distress. The health problems of this patient were identified as gas exchange disorder, infection, anxiety, and other problems. Our chest physiotherapy team comprised nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists. After administering individualized treatments, including monitoring vital signs and installing an external life support system, the lung consolidation and lung collapse problems of the patient improved, allowing the ventilator to be removed. To address the patient's psychological problems, we used a humanoid diagram and whiteboard drawing as communication tools to explain to the patient the reasons for and functions of the different tubes on his body to reduce his anxiety and maintain the safe use of these tubes. Moreover, bedside care was replaced by mobile phone video and phone calls, allowing the patient to communicate with family members, which reduced his isolation-related anxiety and enhanced his compliance with treatment and care protocols. This experience supports the benefit of installing two-way video devices and viewing monitors in negative pressure rooms in the ICU to facilitate effective communications between patients, patient family members, and the medical team to reduce patient-perceived anxiety and social isolation. This case report provides a reference demonstrating a patient-centered caring model for treating COVID-19 patients in the ICU.