[Effect of awake prone positioning in non-intubated patients with community-acquired pneumonia complicated by hypoxemia].

Introduction: Several studies have suggested that the early use of awake prone positioning (PP) in patients with acute respiratory failure due to severe community-acquired pneumonia, hemodynamically stable and alert, may improve oxygenation and avoid the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. PP may also help reduce case fatality rate (CFR). The benefits of PP for oxygen-dependent patients hospitalized with non-intubated acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 infection have been evaluated. We reviewed the literature to determine if PP could improve hypoxemia and signs of acute respiratory failure in patients with community-acquired or non-community-acquired pneumonia, reduce the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, and reduce CFRin patients with Covid-19. Materials and methods: We searched with Medline for articles published in French or English containing the keywords "acute respiratory failure" or "acute respiratory distress" and "prone position."Results/Conclusion. Turning into prone position is a simple, inexpensive, and effective technique that improves the prognosis of patients with respiratory distress due to severe community-acquired pneumonia, regardless of the cause. This technique can be easily implemented in low-and middle-income countries, particularly in North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and South America.