Anticoagulation in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation suffering from COVID-19 disease, The ANTI-CO trial: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the effect of anticoagulation with bivalirudin administered intravenously on gas-exchange in patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure using invasive mechanical ventilation.

Trial Design: This is a single centre parallel group, superiority, randomized (1:1 allocation ratio) controlled trial.

Participants: All patients admitted to the Hamad Medical Corporation -ICU in Qatar for COVID-19 associated respiratory distress and in need of mechanical ventilation are screened for eligibility.