Open AccessProtracted course of coronavirus disease with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: a case report
Author(s) -
Miyamoto Kyohei,
Yonemitsu Takafumi,
Tanaka Rikako,
Nakashima Tsuyoshi,
Shibata Mami,
Funahashi Ryosuke,
Yamasaki Keiko,
Yamada Mario,
Tamoto Kaori,
Akamatsu Keiichiro,
Nishio Machiko,
Yamaue Hiroki,
Kato Seiya
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acute medicine and surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2052-8817
DOI - 10.1002/ams2.521
Subject(s) - medicine , hypoxemia , mechanical ventilation , intensive care unit , respiratory failure , respiratory distress , intensive care medicine , covid-19 , intensive care , ventilation (architecture) , diffuse alveolar damage , lung , disease , acute respiratory distress , infectious disease (medical specialty) , anesthesia , mechanical engineering , engineering
Background Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is a growing concern worldwide. Approximately 5% of COVID‐19 cases require intensive care. However, the optimal treatment for respiratory failure in COVID‐19 patients is yet to be determined. Case presentation A 79‐year‐old man with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID‐19 was admitted to our intensive care unit. Prone ventilation was effective in treating the patient’s hypoxemia. Furthermore, the patient received lung protective ventilation with a tidal volume of 6–8 mg/kg (predicted body weight). However, the patient’s respiratory failure did not improve and he died 16 days after admission because of multiple organ failure. Serial chest computed tomography revealed a change from ground‐glass opacity to consolidation pattern in both lungs. Conclusions We report a protracted case of COVID‐19 in a critically ill patient in Japan. Although prone ventilation could contribute to treating hypoxemia, its efficacy in preventing mortality from COVID‐19 is unknown.