Prone position applied to COVID-19 patients: Systematic review-meta-analysis

Position change and interventions to increase lung capacity should be considered in mechanically ventilated patients. The most effective of these is the prone position.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effects of the prone position on respiratory parameters and outcomes and to guide nurses working in the intensive care unit.

This systematic review-meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. ScienceDirect, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane and PubMed databases were searched between January 2022 and January 2023 to access studies related to prone position in COVID-19 patients.

Twenty-three studies were included. This meta-analysis shows that a prone position is feasible and can achieve improvements in gas exchange. Prone position increases PaO₂/FiO₂ in the majority of patients followed with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and severe hypoxemic.

The study has shown that the prone position is effective in improving patients' respiratory function and oxygenation.

The results presented in this article support the notion that the prone position can be an effective strategy in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.