COVID-19 respiratory support outside the ICU's doors. An observational study for a new operative strategy

During the first wave of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, we faced a massive clinical and organizational challenge having to manage critically ill patients outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This was due to the significant imbalance between ICU bed availability and the number of patients presenting Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure caused by SARS-CoV-2-related interstitial pneumonia. We therefore needed to perform Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) in non-intensive wards to assist these patients and relieve pressure on the ICUs and subsequently implemented a new organizational and clinical model. This study was aimed at evaluating its effectiveness and feasibility.