Case study: An older COVID-19 patient in a Turkish intensive care unit with prolonged stay

Abstract

This paper reports the presentation and management of an older female patient who was diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and discharged from an intensive care unit (ICU) after prolonged hospitalization. The patient's COVID-19 test was negative; therefore, she was monitored in the COVID-19 general clinic with normal levels of oxygen saturation (SpO₂ ). The patient had been taking Plaquenil for rheumatoid arthritis for a long time. Azithromycin was administered first, and then, the treatment continued with favipiravir according to the national treatment protocol in Turkey. On the third day in the COVID-19 general clinic, she was transferred to the ICU because of decreased saturation levels. Owing to worsening respiratory status and SpO₂ <70%, the patient was intubated on the sixth day in the ICU, and every day, she was nursed in a prone position for >16 hours. We believe that the treatment and care activities under qualified and effective nursing care, such as providing appropriate respiratory support at the right time, early initiation and maintenance of anticoagulant therapy, long-term prone positioning, maintaining sufficient fluid resuscitation, and early commencement of balanced enteral nutrition, contributed to the successful discharge of the patient from the ICU. The patient was finally extubated on the 23rd day. Respiratory support was continued with oxygen administered at 2 lt/min through a nasal canula with SpO₂ at 94%. We believe that by combining all these factors, the patient's results improved. She was discharged from the ICU after 25 days without any organ dysfunction. During the 25 days of care in the ICU, infectious disease protection and isolation rules were strictly adhered to, and personal protective equipment was worn.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; intensive care; nursing; patient.