
May 1, 2020
COVID-19 NIV: Helmet vs Mask

Needs Assessment: As the COVID19 pandemic continues to mount, hospitals will rapidly reach maximal capacity. As a result, patients are boarding longer in the ED and, new patients are waiting longer to be seen. This dynamic poses numerous threats to patients safety. While we are seeing a large number of patients with severe and critical COVID19 who require intense monitoring, therapy and even ICU resources, many patients are only in need of supplemental O2 while they deal with their symptoms. The ability to discharge patients home with O2 and proper follow up monitoring can help open up more beds in both the ED and the hospital in general allowing us to deliver the proper resources to patients who need them.
Background: Awake proning, or having patients lie on their stomachs, can help oxygenation by helping to recruit posterior portions of the lungs and by helping with perfusion to oxygenated lung segments. The literature around proning centers on intubated patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome in the ICU. However, there are increasing recommendations from front line clinicians and experts about the benefits of proning hypoxemic COVID19 patients who are awake in an effort to improve oxygenation and stave off intubation. While there may be physiologic reasoning, anecdotal experience and application of data from intubated patients, there is an absence of data specifically on COVID19 patients and proning. Fortunately, we now have some literature to look at: