Baseline ventilator settings, gas exchange and respiratory system mechanics in COVID19 patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure admitted in Catalan ICUs (UCIsCAT study group)

Introduction: COVID19 pandemic and the consequent surge of patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure has stretched the intensive care departments capacity to provide supportive treatment Objectives: To describe the baseline ventilator settings of adult patients with severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID19 admitted in the Catalan ICU network Methods: Consecutive patients admitted between 15 March and 15 April in 26 ICUs, who tested positive for SARS-Cov-2 (RT-PCR in a nasopharingeal swab) and had severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, presenting with bilateral infiltrates in the chest X-ray and requiring invasive mechanical ventilation Relevant data were colected in stable conditions shortly after intubation Follow-up time was til ICU discharge Study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the coordinating center (Hospital Universitari Sant Pau, Barcelona) Results: A total of 1704 patients (1187 men and 517 women) were admitted, and their median age was 63 yr (IQR 54-70) Of these, 1388 (82%) required invasive mechanical ventilation Median duration of mechanical ventilation was 14 days (IQR 7-24) Overall UCI mortality was 35% (491/1388) Prone position was implemented in 77% (1070/1388) ARDS criteria was met by 1220 intubated patients (88%, 1220/1338) Cumulative survival over ICU time is shown in the Kaplan- Meier plot Conclusion: The vast majority of acutely hypoxemic covid19 patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation met classical ARDS criteria (Table Presented)