Efficacy and Safety of a New Protocol for Fast Intubation in Patients With Covid-19 (Sars-Cov-2)

Introduction: Severe COVID-19 illness is characterized by the development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), for which the mainstay of treatment is represented by mechanical ventilation. Mortality associated with ARDS due to other causes is in the range of 40-60% but currently available data are not yet sufficient to draw safe conclusions on the prognosis of COVID-19 patients who require mechanical ventilation.

Materials and Methods: This is a Cross-sectional and retrospective study in which we want to determine if the new intubation protocol developed in our center is safe and efficient to achieve effective intubation in patients with COVID-19 as well as to avoid the transmission of the virus in anesthesiology specialists.

Results: The average time to achieve an effective intubation was 49 seconds (range: 35-75 seconds). The number of patients in whom it was possible to achieve intubation on the first attempt was 55 (92.45%). The number of patients who failed to intubate on the first attempt was 4, corresponding to 7.55%.

Conclusion: The protocol for intubation of patients COVID19 that we used demonstrated effective results at the time of its application, ensuring the safety of the participating health personnel, as well as all the intubation procedures that were carried out in an effective way.

Keywords: COVID-19; Rapid intubation; Personal protective equipment; SARS-CoV-2; Time intubation