Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025
An Educational Video Demonstration of How to Prone a Critically Ill Intubated Patient
Published on: November 30, 2022
Respiratory Distress in Hospitalized Non-Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Adults: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort
Tara Liberman1, Santiago Lopez1, Regina Roofeh1
1Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, USA.
Background:
COVID-19 typically presents with respiratory symptoms which may progress with severe disease. There are standard guidelines for managing respiratory distress (e.g. opioids, anxiolytics) and palliative care teams are well versed in managing these symptoms.
Aim:
Determine the extent to which hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate respiratory distress received medications or palliative consultation for symptom management and if these interventions had any association with outcomes.
Design:
Retrospective chart review for hospitalized COVID-19+ patients from March 2-April 30, 2020.
Setting:
Large integrated health system in the New York Metropolitan area.
Patients:
312 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with an order for a non-rebreather mask and meeting criteria for moderate respiratory distress on the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale: concurrent respiratory rate ≥30 and heart rate ≥110 at any point during hospitalization. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation or intensive care were excluded.
Results:
Most COVID-19 patients experiencing moderate respiratory distress did not receive medications or palliative consultation for symptom management. Patients who received medications were predominantly white, older, and had a Do-Not-Resuscitate order. Patients who received a palliative consultation were more likely to be older, female, and white, with a Do-Not-Resuscitate order. Mortality was similar between those receiving medication and those who did not.
Conclusion:
Medications and palliative expertise for symptom management were underused for patients with moderate respiratory distress due to COVID-19. Education and triggers may help providers to identify moderate respiratory distress and consider symptomatic treatment and palliative consultation when appropriate.
More Related Videos
09:36Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
Published on: September 24, 2020
06:22Surfactant Depletion Combined with Injurious Ventilation Results in a Reproducible Model of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ARDS
Published on: April 7, 2021
Related Concept Videos
01:23Acute Respiratory Failure-IV
01:30Acute Respiratory Failure-III
01:23Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like...
01:31Common Respiratory Disorders
Upper respiratory disorders impact the airways above the vocal cords, encompassing areas like the nose, sinuses, and throat. Various conditions fall under this category, including the common cold and allergic rhinitis. These disorders can stem from several causes,...
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...
01:21Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include: