Decreased Mortality in Patients With Severe Bronchospasm Associated With SARS-CoV-2: An Alternative to Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

Rafael Salazar Sr; Alejandro Hallo; Sebastian Vasquez; Steffy Reinthaller; Juan Echeverria

doi:10.7759/cureus.10822

Decreased Mortality in Patients With Severe Bronchospasm Associated With SARS-CoV-2: An Alternative to Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

Cureus. 2020 Oct 6;12(10):e10822. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10822.

Authors

Rafael Salazar Sr¹, Alejandro Hallo², Sebastian Vasquez¹, Steffy Reinthaller¹, Juan Echeverria¹

Affiliations

¹ Emergency Department, Hospital Pablo Arturo Suárez, Quito, ECU.
² Internal Medicine, Hospital de Especialidad Eugenio Espejo, Quito, ECU.

Abstract

The number of patients with acute episodes of severe bronchospasm needing intubation and ventilatory support has increased rapidly during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although medical consensus upholds the use of ventilatory support in this pathology, its survival benefits remain unclear. To improve the outcomes and survival rates, a bundle of early respiratory therapy with a pharmacological rescue regimen was provided to four patients with bronchospasm secondary to COVID-19. This therapeutic approach successfully delayed the need for invasive mechanical ventilation for 48 hours and decreased the mortality rate in all cases.

Keywords: covid-19 management; covid-19 outbreak; invasive mechanical ventilation.

Publication types

Case Reports