[BostonCard]

Wasn't there that article about the pulseox that recommended lying on your stomach or side to help after early diagnosis?

Ventilated patients are sometimes placed in the prone position (on their stomachs) in order to better match ventilation (where the air goes) with perfusion (where the blood goes).  In the lung, blood naturally pools towards the back if someone is lying supine.  But that might be a part of the lung that is significantly affected by COVID-19, so blood might be pumped to a portion of the lung that is not getting oxygen.  Prone positioning can help with that.

I guess it is the same idea earlier in the diagnosis.

Note, there is no guarantee that the anterior lungs (the front, which would get more blood flow in the prone position, as they would be on the bottom) would be better ventilated than the posterior lungs.  So, it could help, but it might not.

BC

[BostonCard]

Wasn't there that article about the pulseox that recommended lying on your stomach or side to help after early diagnosis?

Ventilated patients are sometimes placed in the prone position (on their stomachs) in order to better match ventilation (where the air goes) with perfusion (where the blood goes).  In the lung, blood naturally pools towards the back if someone is lying supine.  But that might be a part of the lung that is significantly affected by COVID-19, so blood might be pumped to a portion of the lung that is not getting oxygen.  Prone positioning can help with that.

I guess it is the same idea earlier in the diagnosis.

Note, there is no guarantee that the anterior lungs (the front, which would get more blood flow in the prone position, as they would be on the bottom) would be better ventilated than the posterior lungs.  So, it could help, but it might not.

BC