COVID-19 – Support Therapies

Transcript

As we mentioned, the ICU allows for different types of support therapies to replace organ function. When the body is recovering from severe disease, it’s important to note that the fewer support therapies a patient requires, the better. Most COVID-19 patients in the ICU will require at least mechanical ventilator support. If their clinical condition were to worsen and other organs besides the lungs are starting to fail, additional forms of support may be added. These include continuous dialysis to replace kidney function, vasoactive medications to support the blood pressure and cardiac devices to enhance heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. The goal of the ICU physician is always to improve the patient’s intrinsic organ function and decrease the need for support therapies. If a patient’s clinical condition is worsening, they will often need more support therapies to get through an illness, which decreases the chances of survival.