Table 1.
Baseline characteristics, including demographic and clinical presentation and outcomes, for all participants in the prone positioning intervention and non-prone positioning groups.
| Overall | Underwent prone positioning | Did not undergo prone positioning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n = 261 | n = 62 | n = 199 | |
| Age, years (median, IQR) | 64.0 (55.0–73.0) | 60.0 (54.3–66.5) | 66.0 (55.0–74.5) |
| Age (years), No. (%) | |||
| < 41 years | 13 (5.0%) | 3 (4.8%) | 10 (5.0%) |
| 41–60 years | 85 (32.6%) | 27 (43.5%) | 58 (29.1%) |
| 61–80 years | 131 (50.2%) | 31 (50.0%) | 100 (50.3%) |
| > 80 years | 32 (12.3%) | 1 (1.6%) | 31 (15.6%) |
| Sex, female, No. (%) | 99 (37.9%) | 20 (32.3%) | 79 (39.7%) |
| Race, No. (%) | |||
| Hispanic | 170 (65.1%) | 38 (61.3%) | 132 (66.3%) |
| Black | 63 (24.1%) | 12 (19.4%) | 51 (25.6%) |
| Asian | 2 (0.8%) | 0 | 2 (1.0%) |
| White | 6 (2.3%) | 0 | 6 (3.0%) |
| Other | 20 (7.7%) | 12 (19.4%) | 8 (4.0%) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 (median, IQR) | 31.0 (27.1–6.8) | 30.9 (28.3–35.9) | 31.0 (26.7–37.2) |
| Body mass index, No. (%) | |||
| < 18.5 kg/m2 | 3 (1.1%) | 0 | 3 (1.5%) |
| 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 | 33 (12.6%) | 5 (8.1%) | 28 (14.1%) |
| 25–29.9 kg/m2 | 78 (29.9%) | 19 (30.6%) | 59 (29.6%) |
| ≥ 30 kg/m2 | 147 (56.3%) | 38 (61.3%) | 109 (54.8%) |
| Clinical symptoms on presentation, No. (%) | |||
| Fever | 159 (60.9%) | 41 (66.1%) | 118 (59.3%) |
| Cough | 190 (72.8%) | 54 (87.1%) | 136 (68.3%) |
| Shortness of breath | 220 (84.3%) | 54 (87.1%) | 166 (83.4%) |
| GI symptoms (diarrhea or vomiting) | 36 (13.8%) | 12 (19.4%) | 24 (12.1%) |
| Neurological symptoms (altered mental status or seizures) | 55 (21.1%) | 5 (8.1%) | 50 (25.1%) |
| Comorbidities, No. (%) | |||
| Current smoking | 14 (5.4%) | 1 (1.6%) | 13 (6.5%) |
| Diabetes | 127 (48.7%) | 27 (43.5%) | 100 (50.3%) |
| Obstructive lung disease (asthma or COPD) | 54 (20.7%) | 10 (16.1%) | 44 (22.1%) |
| Congestive heart failure | 19 (7.3%) | 1 (1.6%) | 18 (9.0%) |
| Autoimmune disease (RA or SLE) | 15 (5.7%) | 3 (4.8%) | 12 (6.0%) |
| Chronic kidney disease (Stage ≥ 3) | 29 (11.1%) | 4 (6.5%) | 25 (12.6%) |
| latrogenic immunosuppression | 6 (2.3%) | 1 (1.6%) | 5 (2.5%) |
| Cancer | 17 (6.5%) | 2 (3.2%) | 15 (7.5%) |
| Human immunodeficiency virus infection | 5 (1.9%) | 2 (3.2%) | 3 (1.5%) |
| Renal Transplantation | 3 (1.1%) | 1 (1.6%) | 2 (1.0%) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index (median, IQR) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | 3.0 (1.0–4.0) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) |
| Severity of COVID-19 on admission, No. (%) (13, 23) | |||
| Moderate | 11 (4.2%) | 6 (9.7%) | 5 (2.5%) |
| Severe | 86 (33.0%) | 27 (43.5%) | 59 (29.6%) |
| Critical | 163 (62.5%) | 29 (46.8%) | 135 (67.8%) |
| APACHE-II score (median, IQR) at intubation | 17.0 (12.0–27.0) | a17.5 (12.3–24.0) | 17.0 (12.0–28.0) |
| ARDS on admission | 146 (55.9%) | 27 (43.5%) | 119 (59.8%) |
| Sepsis on admission by Quick SOFA | 160 (61.3%) | 38 (61.3%) | 122 (61.3%) |
| Radiological characteristics, No. (%) | |||
| Bilateral reticulonodular opacities | 173 (66.3%) | 41 (66.1%) | 132 (66.3%) |
| Ground-glass opacities | 96 (36.8%) | 28 (45.2%) | 68 (34.2%) |
| Focal consolidation | 31 (11.9%) | 5 (8.1%) | 26 (13.1%) |
| Treatment and clinical course, No. (%) | |||
| BiPAP prior to mechanical ventilation | 37 (14.2%) | 17 (27.4%) | 20 (10.1%) |
| Mechanical ventilation on admission | 186 (71.3%) | 31 (50.0%) | 155 (77.9%) |
| Vasopressor use during hospital course | 221 (84.7%) | 53 (85.5%) | 168 (84.4%) |
| Acute kidney injury during hospital course | 142 (54.4%) | 29 (46.8%) | 113 (56.8%) |
| Hemodialysis required during hospital course | 35 (13.4%) | 16 (25.8%) | 19 (9.5%) |
| Hydroxychloroquine administered | 219 (83.9%) | 52 (83.9%) | 167 (83.9%) |
| Maneuvers and adjustments | |||
| Total maneuvers | - | 832 | - |
| Prone positioning | - | 199 | - |
| Supine positioning | - | 190 | - |
| Head, neck and shoulder adjustments | - | 443 | - |
| Maneuvers per participant (median, IQR) | - | 4 (2–8) | - |
| Outcomes (followed minimum of 30 days), no (%) | |||
| Expired | 215 (82.4%) | 48 (77.4%) | 167 (83.9%) |
| Discharged | 43 (16.4%) | 13 (21.0%) | 30 (15.1%) |
| Ongoing hospitalization | 3 (1.1%) | 1 (1.6%) | 2 (2.0%) |
| Time to death (median, IQR) from admission | 8.2 (5.4–13.5) | 15.3 (12.2–21.7) | 7.2 (4.2–10.9) |
| Length of stay, days (median, IQR) | 9.0 (5.4–14.3) | 18.1 (13.1–26.9) | 8.0 (5.0–14.0) |
| Ventilator-free days (median, IQR) | 18.0 (13.0–22.0) | 19.0 (16.0–20.0) | 18.0 (12.0–22.0) |
| Total extubations | 29 (11.1%) | 7 (11.3%) | 22 (11.1%) |
| Total re-intubations | 8 (3.1%) | 1 (1.6%) | 7 (3.5%) |
| Palliative extubations | 10 (3.8%) | 2 (3.2%) | 8 (4.0%) |
| Tracheostomy | 26 (10.0%) | 13 (21.0%) | 13 (6.5%) |
| Laboratory values on admission, [reference range and units] reported as median (IQR), N reported if different from total | |||
| White blood cell count [4.8–10.8 × 103 microliter] | 9.5 (6.9–12.9) | 9.5 (7.1–12.6) | 9.6 (6.8–13.1) |
| Platelet count [150 to 450 per microliter] | 235 (182–301) | 211.5 (186–283) | 237.0 (181–303) |
| Highest d-dimer during hospital course [< = 230 ng/milliliter] | 3543 (1163–11838), n = 218 | 3988 (2049.5–13049.8) | 3185 (1064–11739), n = 156 |
| C-reactive protein [0–0.40 mg/deciliter] | 28.0 (14.8–100.0), n = 244 | 24.1 (14.3–35.9), n = 61 | 30.8 (15.7–122.2), n = 183 |
| Highest creatinine during hospital course [0.7–1.20 mg/deciliter] | 3.7 (1.5–6.9), n = 260 | 3.8 (1.1–6.6) | 3.7 (1.7–7.1), n = 198 |
| Lactate [0.5–2.2 mmol/liter] | 2.1 (1.4–3.2), n = 223 | 2.0 (1.5–3.2), n = 56 | 2.1 (1.4–3.2), n = 167 |
| Procalcitonin [< = 0.08 ng/milliliter] | 0.5 (0.2–1.3), n = 230 | 0.5 (0.3–1.3), n = 55 | 0.5 (0.2–1.3), n = 174 |
| lnterleukin-6 (0–5.5 pg/milliliter) | 19.8 (15.2–251.3), n = 220 | 16.1 (15.0–150.7), n = 57 | 32.3 (15.2–273.5), n = 162 |
| Ferritin [20–250 ng/milliliter] | 928.5 (515–1625), n = 225 | 871.0 (487–1466), n = 59 | 949 (531–1670), n = 166 |
| International normalized ratio [0.8 to 1.1] | 1.3 (1.1–1.4), n = 240 | 1.3 (1.2–1.4), n = 59 | 1.3 (1.1–1.4), n = 181 |
ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; BiPAP bilevel positive airway pressure; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Pro-BNP-N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus