Physicians are noting dramatic improvement in ventilation in COVID-19 patients by using the the prone position to make more of the lung available to accept oxygen. In many cases, there is dramatic improvement in oxygen levels. This pandemic is altering the usual practice of medicine in ICUs

The biggest change: Instead of quickly sedating people who had shockingly low levels of oxygen and then putting them on mechanical ventilators, many doctors are now keeping patients conscious, having them roll over in bed, recline in chairs and continue to breathe on their own — with additional oxygen — for as long as possible.

The idea is to get them off their backs and thereby make more lung available. A number of doctors are even trying patients on a special massage mattress designed for pregnant women because it has cutouts that ease the load on the belly and chest.

 

Some doctors have placed Covid-19 patients on special massage mattresses made for pregnant women. Credit...Ken Sutin

Other doctors are rejiggering CPAP breathing machines, normally used to help people with sleep apnea, or they have hacked together valves and filters. For some critically ill patients, a ventilator may be the only real hope