Why are COVID-19 patients placed on their stomachs? [WE EXPLAIN]
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Positioning a patient with COVID-19 in the prone position is a simple method that doctors use when the disease is severe. It turns out that lying on the stomach increases the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs, minimizing the risk of respiratory failure. Can lying on your stomach save the lives of COVID-19 patients?

  1. In Poland, the situation related to the coronavirus epidemic is still difficult – hospitals are overcrowded, many deaths are recorded daily
  2. In recent weeks, not only patients from risk groups, but also young people have been admitted to hospitals
  3. One method that proves effective in treating severe COVID-19 is a specific body position – on the stomach
  4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

Influence of body position on the condition of patients with coronavirus

Severe COVID-19 patients often die from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This serious pulmonary reaction also occurs in patients with influenza, pneumonia, and other respiratory conditions.

Seven years ago, an article by French physicians was published in the online journal New England Journal of Medicine, which addressed the topic the positioning of patients with ARDS on the stomach. Medics pointed out that patients with respiratory failure connected to a ventilator have a greater chance of survival if they are placed on their stomachs. This method is used to varying degrees by specialists in many countries, including the United States.

How does the belly position work? According to specialists working in intensive care units, lying on your stomach causes more oxygen to reach the lungs. When lying on your back, body weight causes certain sections of the lungs to compress, preventing oxygen from reaching them freely. The prone position “opens” those parts of the lungs that were not previously obstructed. According to CNN, in one Long Island Jewish patient with COVID-19 in New York, lying on his stomach increased blood oxygen levels from 85 percent. up to 98 percent

Patients on ventilators at a New York City hospital remain prone position for an average of 16 hours a day. According to Dr. Mangala Narasimhan, head of regional intensive care at Northwell Health, this method is a lifesaver.

Stomach position in severe COVID-19 cases

In the above-mentioned French study, attention was drawn only to effective positioning on the stomach in ventilator-connected patients. As such, it is not entirely clear how much prone lying does for patients who are not as badly as possible. The effectiveness of this solution is checked by doctors at the Rush University medical center in Chicago. They use the prone position for sick patients who need oxygen supplementation using the nasal oxygen delivery method, but not through a ventilator.

The prone position also has a disadvantage – patients under a ventilator need to be given more sedatives, which may require a longer stay in the intensive care unit. As for COVID-19 patients in better conditionin some hospitals they are also persuaded to lie on their stomachs. Given the lack of sedative medications, in their case, however, staying in this position may be more difficult, especially if it were to last several hours.

Have a question about the coronavirus? Send them to the following address: [email protected]. You will find a daily updated list of answers HERE: Coronavirus – frequently asked questions and answers.

Also read:

  1. You don’t have to disinfect everything? Experts change recommendations
  2. Experts: we will win with the pandemic if 60 percent. the population will wear masks and keep their distance
  3. Grzesiowski: «drive thru» vaccination points break safety rules. Vaccination is not fast food
  4. Will there be consequences for people not getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
  5. How many people in Poland died or had thrombosis after vaccination? New data
  6. Will it also be possible to mix COVID-19 vaccines in Poland? The Ministry of Health responds

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