Airway Suction is Critical for COVID-19 Ventilation
It is estimated that 20% of COVID-19 patients require hospitalization, with 5% requiring critical care support.1 A March retrospective study found that acute respiratory distress syndrome [ARDS] and respiratory failure, sepsis, acute cardiac injury, and heart failure are the most common critical complications linked to COVID-19.2
Many COVID-19 patients will require ventilation in the first 24 hours of intensive care to maintain proper pulmonary hygiene and endotracheal patency.3 Given COVID-19’s identified clinical characteristics – including its tendency to produce lung secretions in patients – regular airway suction becomes critically important during urgent care.4