Outcomes of Prone Positioning in Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients

Background: Prone positioning in mechanically ventilated patients with severe ARDS is associated with reduced mortality. COVID-19 causes variable pulmonary involvement in some patients suffering from severe respiratory failure and ARDS. Although proning in the COVID-19 patient population is increasingly common, more data are needed to fully understand its utility in those with ARDS due to COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study, inclusive of 100 consecutive subjects intubated for ARDS from COVID-19, admitted to the ICU from September 2020 to December 2020. Data were collected daily from time of intubation for 7 d along with 30-d outcomes. Results: The study included a total of 53 subjects proned and 47 nonproned during their hospitalization. Proned subjects had a mean age of 61.8 years and 56.6% were male, compared with a mean age of 66.3 years and 57.4% male in the nonproned group. Age, sex, other baseline characteristics, and treatments were similar between groups, except that proned subjects had a higher body mass index than nonproned subjects (34.1 ± 7.5 vs 30.5 ± 7.4, kg/m² P = .02) and lower initial P/F ratios (119.1 ± 54.5 vs 154.0 ± 92.7 mm Hg, P = .047). Proned subjects received more neuromuscular blockade (OR 6.63, 95% CI 3.25-13.12, P < .001) and higher sedation levels (two sedatives: OR = 3.00, 95% CI 1.77-5.08; ≥3 sedatives: OR = 7.13, 95% CI 3.96-12.81) with similar ICU stays, ventilator days, newly initiated renal replacement therapy, and 30-d outcomes including being alive, out of the ICU, or discharged from the hospital when compared with nonproned subjects. There were a total of 15 (28.3%) complications related to proning. Proned subjects were reintubated significantly less than the nonproned group (1.9% vs 19.1%, P = .006). Conclusions: Proning mechanically ventilated COVID-19 subjects was associated with more frequent use of neuromuscular blockade and sedation, and lower rates of re-intubation, for respiratory failure when compared with nonproned subjects.