Updated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Guidelines for COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2), has claimed many lives world over. Managing COVID-19 pandemic has become very challenging for the health care workers (HCW) due to the absence of definitive treatment for the disease. Around 5–6% of cases of COVID-19 become critically ill and require intensive monitoring, advanced life support, respiratory support and treatment modalities like ECMO and Plasma therapy, etc. Older people with comorbidities like cardiac disease, renal disorder, diabetes mellitus, hepatic impairment, respiratory pathologies or immune-compromised state are more vulnerable and carry a very high mortality from COVID-19. As HCW, we are already trained in providing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to cardiac arrested patients. Those learned guidelines need to be modified before using for COVID-19 patients due to various concerns such as virulence of the virus, differing etiology of cardiac arrest (respiratory), high risk of COVID-19 transmission to rescuers, and the need to minimize or avoid aerosolization from the patient during various interventions. This article focusses on steps taken by health care team while resuscitating a cardiac arrested COVID-19 patient. Nurses being the important member of the health care team (HCT) should be aware of the updated CPR guidelines