Introduction
Prone position (PP) has the potential to reexpand collapsed alveoli and improve the oxygenation index significantly[1-3]. However, it is complicated to be operated and has high risk of tissue crush injuries, particularly for the patients invasive mechanical ventilated [4, 5].
In December 2022, COVID-19 lockdown in China, a substantial influx of critically ill patients necessitated admission into the ICU owing to respiratory failure stemming secondary to COVID-19. Nishikimi, M et al. revealed that the 28-day survival rate of COVID-19 patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation was merely 37%[6]. Consequently, the implementation of effective measures to mitigate the mortality rate became an urgent necessity.
Previous researches had demonstrated that PP can enhance the oxygenation index in COVID-19 patients mechanical ventilated[7, 8]. Consequently, the Shanghai Expert Group on Clinical Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia had developed guidelines for the implementation of PP treatment. And yet, research on the potential of PP to enhance the survival rate among invasive mechanical ventilated COVID-19 patients was limited. Particularly, the investigation into the therapeutic efficacy of repeated PP cycles remains inconclusive.
The study dynamically compared the changes in laboratory indices, disease severity, and survival rates between PP patients and matched non-PP patients. Additionally, differences in oxygenation index and survival rate were examined across varying numbers of PPs. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of PP in critically ill patients with COVID-19 who required invasive mechanical ventilation.