COVID-19 Clinical Resources

Different Types of COVID-19 Vaccines

Updated July 28, 2021
There are several types of vaccines currently in use or under development for COVID-19, each with different strengths, weaknesses, and efficacy against viral variants.

Oxygen Conservation Strategies During COVID-19 Surges

Published May 5, 2021
Clinicians and hospitals can utilize these key strategies to conserve and extend oxygen and other critical supplies for respiratory support, both for general use and during public health emergencies such as COVID-19.

Lung Transplantation for Patients with COVID-19

Published April 26, 2021
Find practical tips for referring providers, including which patients are viable candidates, when to refer, and what information you'll need to provide to the transplant center.

Delirium

Published March 16, 2021
Prompt recognition of delirium is important to reduce modifiable risk factors and start treatment. Find out what screening tools are available, risk factors, and treatment options.

Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure

Published February 18, 2021
Acute respiratory failure is one of the most common reasons for admission to the intensive care unit. Learn about the underlying physiology of hypoxemic respiratory failure, the different types, and the causes.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

Published February 15, 2021
A multisystem inflammatory syndrome may cause critical illness in children and young adults up to 2-4 weeks following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Learn about the clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and commonly used treatments.

A Very Basic Approach to Blood Gas Analysis

Published February 15, 2021
Blood gas interpretation is something that can be difficult to understand but is essential to know when caring for patients in the ICU. In this overview, CHEST presents a simple method for blood gas interpretation that will provide a basic foundation of understanding..

Questions About the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

Published February 9, 2021
Find answers to several commonly asked questions about the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Published February 1, 2021
Get a quick overview of the clinical features of ARDS, its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

COVID-19: ICU for the Non-Intensivist

Updated January 13, 2021; originally published May 6, 2020
CHEST has created a handy, quick reference sheet detailing critical care procedures for non-intensivists who are tasked to take care of ICU patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document includes tips on infection control; an overview of COVID-19-specific medications; guidance on managing respiratory, cardiac, hematologic, and neurological manifestations; and more.

Living With Someone With COVID-19: Providing Support While Protecting Yourself

Published December 30, 2020
Caring for someone infected with COVID-19 poses unique challenges for family, friends, and roommates. This infographic provides caregivers with simple instructions on how to cover basic needs, when to seek medical attention, good hygiene practices, how to limit contact, and more. Share with your patients and their caregivers.

Acute Kidney Injury

Published November 16, 2020
Critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 may be at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Get an overview of the causes and classification of AKI, diagnosis and management strategies, and indications for renal replacement therapy.

Prone Positioning in Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure

Published November 5, 2020
Prone positioning may be utilized for patients in hypoxemic respiratory failure. Learn about possible positions, physiology, clinical data, and practical considerations.

Cytokine Storm in COVID-19

Published October 28, 2020
CHEST offers updates on the role of cytokines in COVID-19 disease and presents the most recent evidence on the use of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID-19.

Sleep Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Published October 22, 2020
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued broad authorization to reimburse physicians for telemedicine. CHEST's Sleep Medicine Network provides information on telediagnostics, teleconsultation, teletherapy, and telemonitoring.

Shock in Critically Ill Patients

Published August 24, 2020
Shock is common in critically ill patients. Learn about the different types of shock, the associated clinical findings and physiology, and treatments for each type.

COVID-19 Neurocritical Care

Published August 10, 2020
COVID-19 may lead to a wide spectrum of neurological complications. Learn about the associated clinical findings, phases, diagnostic considerations, and outcomes.

Personnel During Code Blue in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Published August 5, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique issues for resuscitation in the event of a code blue. Specifically, it is important to manage the code blue with an eye to the safety of care providers. CHEST proposes an algorithm for managing resuscitation work and personnel flow to simultaneously provide optimum support for patients and optimum protection for caregivers. This workflow was proposed by Michael Waxman, MD, of Kansas City, MO, in accordance with American Heart Association guidelines.

Operational Strategies for Mass Critical Care

Published September 17, 2021
The journal CHEST^® recently published an important update to the 2014 consensus statement by the Task Force for Mass Critical Care on providing mass critical care utilizing research gained through experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The suggested operational strategies fall within four critical areas: Staffing, load balancing, communication, and technology.

Communication in Crisis

Published October 16, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, clear communication between members of the health-care team is crucial. Follow these tips for how to effectively communicate in times of crisis.

Updated Recommendations for COVID-19 PPE

Updated October 13, 2020; originally published March 30, 2020
This handy infographic displays updated PPE recommendations for usage with patients who test positive or are suspected positive for COVID-19.

Basics of Waveform Capnography

Published May 11, 2021
Managing ventilated patients in the ICU with or without COVID-19 can be challenging. Waveform capnography is a widely used tool to assess ventilation by monitoring exhaled carbon dioxide. Understanding the morphology of different phases of the respiratory cycle in waveform capnography can help clinicians uncover pathophysiology and manage these critically ill patients.

Common Diagnostic Tests Used for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Published March 23, 2021
Access a concise overview of the molecular, antigen, and antibody tests available to diagnose infection with SARS-CoV-2. Differentiate between each test's sensitivity, specificity, pros, and cons.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Published March 16, 2021
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be utilized to support patients with pulmonary and/or cardiovascular failure. Get an overview of ECMO goals, parameters, potential complications, and more.

Noninvasive Ventilation

Published February 1, 2021
Noninvasive ventilation, or assisted breathing using positive pressure delivered by a nasal, mask, or helmet interface, is increasingly used in the critical care setting to support impending respiratory failure. This infographic outlines the key concepts related to noninvasive ventilation.

Performing Percutaneous Tracheostomy in a Viral Pandemic

Published November 3, 2020
In this new infographic from CHEST's Bronchoscopy Domain Task Force, learn about patient selection, necessary equipment and personnel, steps of the procedure, and posttracheostomy care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bronchoscopy in the Era of COVID-19

Published October 20, 2020
CHEST's Bronchoscopy Domain Task Force has created an infographic with key information on how to provide timely care while minimizing exposures during bronchoscopy in the era of COVID-19. Get information on indications, recommendations for testing, and tips for performing bronchoscopy in suspected or COVID-19-positive patients as well as COVID-19-negative patients.

Ultrasound Cleaning Protocol

Published May 4, 2020
View general procedures for the cleaning and disinfection of ultrasound equipment.

Monoclonal Antibodies for Treating Patients With COVID-19

Published December 6, 2021
These investigational medications—approved for emergency use in patients by the FDA—may reduce progression to severe disease and shorten recovery in high-risk patients. Understand the types of monoclonal antibodies currently available in the US, indications for use, mechanisms of action, and NIH guidelines for this therapy.

Supported by Regeneron

Antimicrobial Stewardship and COVID-19

Published July 23, 2021
Antimicrobial stewardship helps improve patient care by optimizing antibiotic use, minimizing broad-spectrum antibiotics, and decreasing antimicrobial resistance. This infographic is a handy reference on the challenges of antimicrobial stewardship in COVID-19, signs of co-infection, principles of antimicrobial treatment, and more.

Immune Modulation for Infections Including COVID-19

Published March 3, 2021
Viral sepsis, and COVID-19 viral sepsis in particular, provokes a dysregulated immune response. Multiple immune-modulating medications have been used and studied in the treatment of patients with severe critical illness and dysregulated immune response. Understand the mechanisms, physiology, and research behind each of these therapies.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for COVID-19

Published January 20, 2021
High-risk outpatients with COVID-19 may benefit from receiving monoclonal antibodies. This therapy may reduce the need for hospitalization. Learn more about indications, contraindications, what the research says, and administration.