Can abdominal binders help COVID-19 patients?

There have recently been several reports in the news [1-3] that placing ventilated COVID-19 patients in the prone position about 16 hours per day helps significantly to increase the oxygen saturation of the lungs. The explanation seems to be that sections of the lungs are being squeezed by the weight of the body when p
There have recently been several reports in the news [1-3] that placing ventilated COVID-19 patients in the prone position about 16 hours per day helps significantly to increase the oxygen saturation of the lungs. The explanation seems to be that sections of the lungs are being squeezed by the weight of the body when patients are on their back. Turning them on their bellies opens up these parts of the lungs for better oxygenation. The idea of using the prone position in COVID-19 patients can be related to numerous studies [4-8] proving the benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), - conditions with similarities to the decreased lung function in COVID-19 patients. However, there are disadvantages to having patients in the prone position: There could be increased risk of air-born contamination when turning ventilated COVID-19 patients in the prone position, and they require more sedation which may prolong the ICU stay. Non-ventilated and non-sedated COVID-19 patients may find it uncomfortable to be on their stomachs for 16 hours so they don’t achieve a significant increase in oxygenation.

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