[Awake prone positioning in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure]

Prone Positioning (PP) improves oxygenation and reduces mortality in intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Meanwhile, non-invasive oxygenation strategies have reduced the need for intubation in patients with Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure (AHRF). During the Covid-19 pandemic, the limited availability of invasive mechanical ventilation prompted interest in research on awake PP for non-intubated patients. Encouraging results in this population have led to ongoing studies investigating the benefit of PP for other causes. This simple and low-cost therapy could improve the management of non-intubated patients with AHRF. However, maintaining PP for a sufficient duration to achieve clinical benefit remains a major challenge.