For patients with COVID-19, lying in a prone position (PP) while awake and spontaneously breathing is linked with reduced intubation rate, particularly in those undergoing high flow nasal cannulae (HFNC), according to a study published in Pulmonology. Roberto Tonelli, MD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study in two hospitals for 3 months, comparing patients subjected to awake PP with those receiving standard care (SC). A greater effect of PP compared with SC on endotracheal intubation rate (HR=0.45; 95% CI, 0.20-0.90), even after adjustment for baseline confounders (HR=0.59; 95% CI, 0.30−0.94), was observed in unadjusted Kaplan–Meier estimates. PP also showed notable benefit for patients on HFNC (HR=0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.84). Patients in the PP group experienced a positive difference in numbers of days free from respiratory support and length of respiratory ICU and hospital stay.
