Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2022 May;128(5):745-747.
doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.01.024. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Breathing face down

Massimo Lamperti  1 , Luciano Gattinoni  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Breathing face down

Massimo Lamperti et al. Br J Anaesth. 2022 May.

Abstract

The prone position has been used to improve oxygenation in patients affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome, but its role in patients with COVID-19 is still unclear when these patients are breathing spontaneously. Mechanisms of ventilation and perfusion in the prone position are discussed, with new insights on how these changes relate to patients with COVID-19.

Keywords: ARDS; COVID-19; lung injury; noninvasive ventilation; oxygenation; prone positioning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment on

References

    1. Bryan A.C. Conference on the scientific basis of respiratory therapy. Pulmonary physiotherapy in the pediatric age group. Comments of a devil’s advocate. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1974;110:143–144. - PubMed
    1. Piehl M.A., Brown R.S. Use of extreme position changes in acute respiratory failure. Crit Care Med. 1976;4:13–14. - PubMed
    1. Guérin C., Reignier J., Richard J.C., et al. Prone positioning in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:2159–2168. - PubMed
    1. Gattinoni L., Taccone P., Carlesso E., et al. Prone position in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Rationale, indications, and limits. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;188:1286–1293. - PubMed
    1. Ball L., Robba C., Herrmann J., et al. Lung distribution of gas and blood volume in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a quantitative dual-energy computed tomography study. Crit Care. 2021;25:214. - PMC - PubMed