Abbey Wilson

PICOT Question

“In adult clients diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), will

prone positioning improve oxygenation status when compared to supine positioning?”

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, our world drastically changed. A novel coronavirus, COVID-19 was

discovered in Wuhan, China and was rapidly spreading. As a healthcare worker who worked in

an ICU at the time, I learned that COVID-19 is dangerous because it can progress into

pneumonia, which occurs when the tiny air sacs in the lungs, called alveoli fill with fluid. This

fluid impairs gas exchange, eventually, shortness of breath sets in, and can lead to acute

respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a form of lung failure. Patients with COVID-19

infections that progressed into ARDS were often intubated and placed on mechanical ventilators

for lung support. My experiences helping to care for these patients is what inspired me to choose

my PICOT question. A common procedure we did was turning patients from supine to prone

position. The rationale for this was to improve oxygenation. While a patient is lying on their

stomach, lung expansion improves and secretions are mobilized more easily. The supine position

places more pressure on the lungs by the force of gravity and secretions settle in the lower,

posterior lobes. As I continue to research data on this topic, I am searching for evidence-based

nursing journals regarding ARDS, the effects of prone positioning on oxygenation and why it is

important to nursing. Upon completion of this project, I will compile all information gathered

into one research paper in APA format and a digital poster for viewing.