Prone position and pressure control inverse ratio ventilation in H1N1 patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Aim: To observe the 28 and 90 days mortality associated with prone position and assist control-pressure control (with inverse ratio) ventilation (ACPC-IRV).

Materials And Methods: All patients who were admitted to our medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who are positive for H1N1 viral infection with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in prone position were included in our prospective observational study. Six patients who are positive for H1N1 required invasive ventilation in prone position. These patients were planned to ventilate in prone for 16 h and in supine for 8 h daily until P/F ratio >150 with FiO2 of 0.6 or less and positive end-expiratory pressure <10 cm of H2 O.

Results: At admission, among these six patients the mean tidal volume generated was about 376.6 ml which was in the range of 6-8 ml/kg predicted body weight. The mean lung injury score was 3.79, mean PaO2 /FiO2 ratio was 52.66 and mean oxygenation index was 29.83. The mean duration of ventilation was 9.4 days (225.6 h). The ICU length of stay was 11.16 days. There was no mortality at 28 and 90 days.

Conclusion: Early prone combined with ACPC-IRV in H1N1 patients having severe ARDS can be used as a rescue therapy and it should be confirmed by large observational studies.