COVID-19 Clinical Guidelines–Critical Care

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Clinical consensus recommendations regarding non-invasive respiratory support in the adult patient with acute respiratory failure secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Date: 2020 May
Developer: Spanish Society of Intensive, Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC)

Guideline Focus
Guidance on non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS) in patients with COVID-19 with acute respiratory failure (ARF)

Patient Population
Adult patients with suspected or confirmed presentation of COVID-19 with ARF

Major Interventions

  • Identification of patients at risk for requiring NIRS
  • Escalation of therapeutic strategies for NIRS
  • Prevention and control of infection in patients receiving NIRS
  • Interventions based on NIRS modality

ANZICS guiding principles for complex decision making during pandemic COVID-19

Date: 2020 Jun
Developer: Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS)

Guideline Focus
Complex decision making during pandemic COVID-19

Patient Population
Adults and children requiring intensive care

Major Interventions

  • Initial equitable approach to limited intensive care resources
  • Role of comprehensive patient assessment, team decision making, and documentation
  • Ethical prioritization considerations
  • Management principles for improving and deteriorating patients

BDA Critical Care Specialist Group COVID-19 best practice guidance: feeding patients on critical care units in the prone position (awake and sedated). Second edition

Date: 2020 Dec 9
Developer: British Dietetic Association (BDA)

Guideline Focus
Optimise nutrition and safe feeding in the prone position for awake and sedated patients with COVID-19

Patient Population
Awake and sedated patients with COVID-19 on critical care units in the prone position

Major Interventions

  • Enteral feeding considerations for intubated patients, including choice of feed and delivery, tube position, and feed tolerance
  • Oral and enteral nutrition in awake patients in the prone position, including on non-invasive ventilation

For access to additional guidelines, check out and search the entire ECRI Guidelines Trust® (EGT), a repository of objective, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

Return to the ECRI COVID-19 Resource Center