Reversibility of total airway closure and alveolar consolidation in a COVID-19 patient: A case study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be complicated by life-threatening pneumonia requiring tracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO). It is not yet clear to what extent and after which delay the most severe cases of COVID-19 pneumonia are reversible. Here, we present a 39-year-old patient who developed a severe COVID-19-attributed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) resulting in complete alveolar consolidation and airway closure for several weeks. His remarkable ventilatory pattern was established using ventilator airway pressure curve analysis and computed tomography imaging. The patient was managed with supportive care, mechanical ventilation and vvECMO. He received dexamethasone and tocilizumab as immunomodulatory drugs. Despite multiple complications, he recovered and was weaned from vvECMO, ventilator and oxygen on days 75, 95 and 99 post-intubation, respectively. He was discharged from hospital on day 113. This case study strongly supports the remarkable potential for reversibility of ARDS in COVID-19 patients and discusses the implications for critical care nursing regarding mechanical ventilation and ECMO device management in patients who may become entirely dependent on vvECMO for oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination.