Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an increase in the number of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with severe hypoxia and acute respiratory distress. With limited resources and ventilators available, emergency physicians working at a hospital within the epicenter of the United States outbreak developed a stepwise, non-invasive oxygenation strategy for treating COVID-19 patients presenting with severe hypoxia and acute respiratory distress.

Case Report: A 72-year-old male suspected of having the COVID-19 virus presented to the ED with shortness of breath. He was found to be severely tachypneic, febrile, with rales in all lung fields. His initial oxygen saturation registered at SpO2 (blood oxygenation saturation) 55% on room air. Emergency physicians employed a novel non-invasive oxygenation strategy using a nasal cannula, non-rebreather, and self-proning. This approach led to a reversal of the patient’s respiratroy distress and hypoxia (SpO2 88-95%) for the following 24 hours.This non-invasive intervention allowed providers time to obtain and initiate high-flow nasal cannula and discuss end-of-life wishes with the patient and his family.

Conclusion: Our case highlights a stepwise, organized approach to providing non-invasive oxygenation for COVID-19 patients presenting with severe hypoxia and acute respiratory distress. This approach primarily employs resources and equipment that are readily available to healthcare providers around the world. The intent of this strategy is to provide conventional alternatives to aid in the initial airway management of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.