Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 12, 2020
Date Accepted: Apr 1, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Apr 5, 2021
Tele-management of home isolated COVID-19 patients via oxygen therapy with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation and physical therapy techniques: A randomized clinical trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
With the enlarging stress on hospitals caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the need for home based solutions has become a necessity to support these overwhelmed hospitals.
Objective:
To compare two non-pharmacological treatment methods for home isolated Covid-19 patients using a new developed tele-management healthcare system.
Methods:
In this randomized, single-blinded, clinical trial, adults with stage one pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection were treated. Group (A) receiving oxygen therapy with Bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation (BiPAP), and group (B) receiving osteopathic manipulative respiratory and physical therapy techniques. Arterial blood gases, potential of hydrogen (pH), vital signs, and chest CT scan, were utilized for follow up and for assessment of the course and duration of recovery.
Results:
Analysis of the results showed a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05) with group (A) showing lower recovery period than group (B) (14.9±1.7 days and 23.9±2.3 days respectively). Significant differences were also observed between base line and final readings in all of the outcome measures in both groups (p<0.05). The post-treatment patient satisfaction with our proposed tele-management healthcare system showed positive response for most of the patients.
Conclusions:
It was found that home oxygen therapy with BiPAP can be an effective prophylactic treatment approach to avoid exacerbation of the early stage COVID-19 pneumonia. Tele-management healthcare systems are promising methods to help pandemic-related shortage of hospital beds as they showed reasonable effectiveness and reliability in monitoring and management of the early stage COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier:NCT04368923.
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