Is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) a new standard of care for type 1 respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients? A retrospective observational study of a dedicated COVID-19 CPAP service

BMJ Open Respir Res. 2020 Jul;7(1):e000639. doi: 10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000639.

Abstract

The aim of this case series is to describe and evaluate our experience of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat type 1 respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19. CPAP was delivered in negative pressure rooms in the newly repurposed infectious disease unit. We report a cohort of 24 patients with type 1 respiratory failure and COVID-19 admitted to the Royal Liverpool Hospital between 1 April and 30 April 2020. Overall, our results were positive; we were able to safely administer CPAP outside the walls of a critical care or high dependency unit environment and over half of patients (58%) avoided mechanical ventilation and a total of 19 out of 24 (79%) have survived and been discharged from our care.

Keywords: non invasive ventilation; respiratory Infection.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / methods*
  • Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / physiopathology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / therapy
  • Critical Pathways / trends
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Records / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Oxygen Consumption
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / physiopathology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / therapy
  • Procedures and Techniques Utilization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Respiratory Care Units* / methods
  • Respiratory Care Units* / organization & administration
  • Respiratory Insufficiency* / etiology
  • Respiratory Insufficiency* / mortality
  • Respiratory Insufficiency* / physiopathology
  • Respiratory Insufficiency* / therapy
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Survival Analysis
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology