Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 18, 2025
An Educational Video Demonstration of How to Prone a Critically Ill Intubated Patient
Published on: November 30, 2022
Intubation rate of patients with hypoxia due to COVID-19 treated with awake proning: A meta-analysis
Stephanie Cardona1, Jessica Downing1, Reem Alfalasi1
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Background:
Awake prone positioning (PP), or proning, is used to avoid intubations in hypoxic patients with COVID-19, but because of the disease's novelty and constant evolution of treatment strategies, the efficacy of awake PP is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature to assess the intubation rate among patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or noninvasive ventilatory support who underwent awake PP.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases through August 15, 2020 to identify relevant randomized control trials, observational studies, and case series. We performed random-effects meta-analyses for the primary outcome of intubation rate. We used moderator analysis and meta-regressions to assess sources of heterogeneity. We used the standard and modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scales (NOS) to assess studies' quality.
Results:
Our search identified 1043 articles. We included 16 studies from the original search and 2 in-press as of October 2020 in our analysis. All were observational studies. Our analysis included 364 patients; mean age was 56.8 (SD 7.12) years, and 68% were men. The intubation rate was 28% (95% CI 20%-38%, I2 = 63%). The mortality rate among patients who underwent awake PP was 14% (95% CI 7.4%-24.4%). Potential sources of heterogeneity were study design and setting (practice and geographic).
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrated an intubation rate of 28% among hypoxic patients with COVID-19 who underwent awake PP. Awake PP in COVID-19 is feasible and practical, and more rigorous research is needed to confirm this promising intervention.
More Related Videos
03:58Author Spotlight: Advancing Awake Nasotracheal Intubation with Flexible Video Rhino-Laryngoscopes
Published on: August 2, 2024
05:39Author Spotlight: A Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery with Multimodal Analgesia and Sevoflurane Inhalation Anesthesia
Published on: May 26, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:24Endotracheal Tube Extubation
Procedure
Extubation removes the endotracheal tube (ETT) from the patient on mechanical ventilation. It requires a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary approach involving physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals....
01:15Endotracheal Intubation I: Procedure
The ET tube comprises various components, including a standard adaptor to attach a bag-valve-mask (BVM) or ventilator, a cuff, a pilot balloon, and radiopaque markings along its length to measure the insertion distance. The tube sizes...
01:17Endotracheal Intubation II: Nursing Management
1. Nursing Care of Patients Before Intubation
Before the endotracheal intubation procedure, nurses play an essential role in ensuring the process goes smoothly. The nurses must be familiar with intubation...
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
01:30Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation V: Advanced Airway Management Techniques
01:22Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management