In about 5% of patients, the viral pneumonia caused by Sars-CoV-2 worsens and causes respiratory distress. The patient must be hospitalized in an intensive care unit. "The virus has attacked his lungs, triggering a violent inflammatory reaction: the alveoli are so swollen that they no longer allow oxygen to pass into the blood and organs, " explains Professor Philippe Montravers, anesthesiologist-resuscitator at the hospital Bichat (Paris).
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The patient is placed on oxygen, distributed via a mask or a probe, and carefully monitored by the medical and paramedical team. In most cases, this non-invasive strategy is not enough and the situation is getting worse. "It can be very brutal and occur without the patient being aware of it, " notes Professor Élie Azoulay, head of the intensive care unit at Saint-Louis hospital in Paris. The patient is then asleep, intubated and connected to an artificial respirator whose role is to oxygenate and reopen the lungs.
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