For patients in ICU with Covid, ventilation is undoubtedly life-saving. but neither the lungs nor the body much like being mechanically ventilated.
A team of experts from Warwick University has found that, while ventilation improves patient oxygenation, stresses and strains inside the lung could reach dangerous levels unless breathing effort can be relieved.
In trying to avoid the risks of mechanical ventilation, many Covid-19 patients are initially treated using low-impact ventilation like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), high flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNOT), or non-invasive ventilation (NIV), using face masks or nasal tubes, while the patient is awake and spontaneously breathing. These therapies can also be delivered outside the ICU.
