Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34774295›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of anaesthesia2022

Prone positioning for non-intubated spontaneously breathing patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Brigitta Fazzini, Alexandria Page, Rupert Pearse, Zudin Puthucheary

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of anaesthesia, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
11.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.

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  17. Use of prone position in spontaneous breathing in patients with COVID-19.Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Brigitta FazziniAdult Critical Care Unit, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK. Electronic address: brigitta.fazzini@nhs.net.
Alexandria PageAdult Critical Care Unit, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
Rupert PearseAdult Critical Care Unit, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Zudin PuthuchearyAdult Critical Care Unit, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Barts Health NHS Trust · GBQueen Mary University of London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProne positioning in non-intubated spontaneously breathing patients is becoming widely applied in practice alongside noninvasive respiratory support. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effect, timing, and populations that might benefit from awake proning regarding oxygenation, mortality, and tracheal intubation compared with supine position in hypoxaemic acute respiratory failure.

methodsWe conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and BMJ Best Practice until August 2021 (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO] registration: CRD42021250322). Studies included comprise least-wise 20 adult patients with hypoxaemic respiratory failure secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome or coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.

resultsFourteen studies fulfilled the selection criteria and 2352 patients were included; of those patients, 99% (n=2332/2352) had COVID-19. Amongst 1041 (44%) patients who were placed in the prone position, 1021 were SARS-CoV-2 positive. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvement in the PaO

conclusionsProne positioning can improve oxygenation amongst non-intubated patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure when applied for at least 4 h over repeated daily episodes. Awake proning appears safe, but the effect on tracheal intubation rate and survival remains uncertain.

Indexed as

COVID-19HumansNoninvasive VentilationPatient PositioningProne PositionRespiratory InsufficiencyWakefulnessARDSawake prone positionCOVID-19hypoxaemic respiratory failurenoninvasive respiratory supportSARS-CoV-2tracheal intubation

Identifiers

PMID34774295
PMCPMC8514681
OpenAlexW3207204826

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.