Awake Prone Positioning to Improve Outcomes in Adults with Community-Acquired Pneumonia Receiving Nasal High Flow Therapy, Excluding COVID-19

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying patients with community-acquired pneumonia who need oxygen therapy due to acute respiratory distress and low blood oxygen levels. This research aims to see if placing patients in a prone position lying face down while they receive nasal high flow oxygen can reduce the need for intubation and improve outcomes. The study particularly excludes patients with COVID-19 and focuses on non-COVID pneumonia cases. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will be encouraged and assisted to lie in the prone position for at least 8 hours per day in multiple sessions, aiming for up to 16 hours if tolerated. The other group will receive usual care with nasal high flow oxygen therapy but no prone positioning. Both groups will have oxygen levels monitored and care adjusted to maintain target oxygen saturation. During the study, patients will be observed for intubation rates within 28 days, comfort levels during prone positioning, oxygenation changes, time to escalation of breathing support, and overall outcomes including mortality up to 90 days. Safety measures like skin and infection monitoring will also be recorded. Quality of life will be assessed at 90 days and 5 years, with nursing workload tracked within the first day after randomization.

Awake Prone Positioning of Patients Suffering Community Acquired Pneumonia Requiring Nasal High Flow Therapy