Coronavirus

SCCM and ESICM Issue COVID-19 Guidelines

Through the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) have issues guidelines for managing critically ill adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The SSC issued 53 statements based on available evidence. The following 4 recommendations are best practices based on high quality evidence:

  • Health care professionals who perform aerosol-generating procedures (intubation, bronchoscopy, open suctioning, etc.) on patients with COVID-19 should be sure to wear fitted respirator masks, such as N-95, FFP2 or equivalent instead of surgical masks, in addition to other personal protective equipment (gloves, gown, and eye protection).   
  • When performing aerosol-generating procedures on ICU patients with COVID-19, these procedures should be performed in a negative pressure room, if possible, because negative pressure rooms are designed to prevent the spread of contagious pathogens between rooms.
  • Health care professionals with experience in airway management should perform endotracheal intubation of patients with COVID-19 in order to minimize the number of attempts and transmission risk. 
  • Adults with COVID-19 who are receiving treatment with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation or a high flow nasal canula should be monitored vigilantly for worsening respiratory status and should be intubated if needed. 


This guideline will undergo regular updates as new evidence emerges, the SCCM and ESICM noted.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:
Society of Critical Care Medicine and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: COVID-19 guidelines. https://www.sccm.org/SurvivingSepsisCampaign/Guidelines/COVID-19. Page last updated March 20, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2020.