High respiratory efforts in COVID-19 patients could result in self-inflicted lung injury

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The impact of high breathing efforts on the lungs of patients suffering with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 has been investigated by researchers at the University of Warwick, who assessed the likelihood of resulting lung injury.

Although mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention, the potential for mechanical ventilators to further damage already diseased lungs by applying excessive pressures and forces is now well recognised among intensive care clinicians, who implement specific protocols to minimise the risk of so-called ventilator-induced-lung-injury.

Since the start of the current pandemic, some clinicians have argued that similar injuries could potentially be produced by heightened respiratory efforts in spontaneously breathing COVID-19 patients.

So-called patient self-inflicted lung injury is a controversial concept in the intensive care community, with some clinicians insisting there is no evidence for its existence, while others argue that patients should, if necessary, be placed on mechanical ventilators to avoid it.

warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents...

Annals of Intensive Care. Study Paper:

link.springer.com/epdf/10.1...