Grant: Operating Grant: COVID-19 - Clinical management

Automated oxygen titration, weaning and monitoring (FreeO2 device) may be a solution to reduce the number of interventions of healthcare workers (which is directly related to the risk of transmission of COVID-19. There is a high risk of transmission of COVID-19 to healthcare workers. in a recent cohort, 29% of the patients hospitalized were healthcare workers. Among the main WHO's strategic objectives for the response to COVID-19, the first was to limit human-to-human transmission including reducing secondary infections among close contacts and health care workers. Every measures that potentially reduce the number of interventions during the management of patients infected by COVID-19 should be evaluated. Oxygen therapy is the first line respiratory support in all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 during initial management. Recent recommendations are to accurately titrate oxygen to avoid hypoxemia and complications-related to hyperoxia (local and systemic inflammation, vasoconstriction through reactive oxygen species production, acute myocardial infarction). In addition, around 1/3 of the patients will deteriorate their clinical condition and require admission to intensive care units; consequently, a close monitoring is required during initial management. We will conduct a randomized controlled study comparing Automated oxygen titration and monitoring (FreeO2) vs. Manual oxygen titration and weaning in patients hospitalized for infectious pneumonia requiring oxygen therapy. The patients will be included in Canadian sites within the first 3 days of admission and will be evaluated during 24 consecutive hours, including 4 hours at bedside. Two hundreds and sixteen patients will be included in the study. The primary endpoint will be the number of interventions for oxygen management Secondary endpoints will include the oxygenation parameters and the oxygen consumption.