Treating COVID-19 patients
Tools and techniques
Proning of respiratory patients is often an effective intervention used as a treatment in intensive care units. Turning a patient from a supine to a prone position can however be a demanding process, which involves a lot of resources when it comes to both time and safety equipment. It often requires 4 – 6 people to fulfil the task.
Early mobilization is an essential part of patient recovery after respiratory treatment in intensive care. Patients with respiratory issues especially benefit from early mobilization as soon as possible. The early mobilization of ICU patients can be a challenging and risky process for both staff and patient, as the patient often relies on support from staff.
By using the right techniques and tools it is possible to do prone and side-lying positioning as well as early mobilization in a safe and effective manner with less staff involved.
For inspiration, Guldmann has created two videos showing how to utilize a ceiling hoist and appropriate slings for the tasks.
All slings used in the videos are disposable slings and all participants are healthy and well. The videos are recorded in our own test setting.
Contact us if you want to know more.
WHO: Clinical management of COVID-19
In adult patients with severe ARDS, prone ventilation for 12–16 hours per day is recommended.
Application of prone ventilation is strongly recommended for adult patients and may be
considered for paediatric patients with severe ARDS but requires sufficient human resources and expertise to be performed
safely.
Management of critical illness and COVID-19: prevention of complications:
- Reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. Turn the patient every 2 hours
- Reduce the incidence of ICU-related weakness. Actively mobilize the patient early in the course of illness when safe to do so.
Source: WHO