Diaphragm Ultrasound Evaluation During Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation in the Positive COVID-19 Patient

Hypoxemic acute respiratory failure is one of the main COVID-19 patients complication that lead to in intensive care hospitalization. This complication determines a variable mortality from 25 to 30%. To correct hypoxemia (often severe) is often needed non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation is not a therapeutic strategy, but it allows to extend the time-to-recovery necessary to solve COVID-19 respiratory failure cause. Calibration of ventilatory support is essential to ensure adequate time-to-recovery without contributing to onset lung and / or diaphragmatic damage. Basal diaphragmatic activity assessment, device for administering the oxygenation support choice and setting ventilatory support parameters are decisive. Ultrasound is the best method for measuring diaphragmatic work. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diaphragmatic thickening fraction in COVID-19 patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for acute respiratory failure and to record its function on weaning.