Hypothesis
Version 2
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
The Role of Alveolar Edema in COVID-19
Version 1
: Received: 19 April 2020 / Approved: 20 April 2020 / Online: 20 April 2020 (08:30:29 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 11 February 2021 / Approved: 11 February 2021 / Online: 11 February 2021 (11:40:30 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 11 February 2021 / Approved: 11 February 2021 / Online: 11 February 2021 (11:40:30 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Yuan, S.; Jiang, S.-C.; Zhang, Z.-W.; Fu, Y.-F.; Hu, J.; Li, Z.-L. The Role of Alveolar Edema in COVID-19. Cells 2021, 10, 1897, doi:10.3390/cells10081897. Yuan, S.; Jiang, S.-C.; Zhang, Z.-W.; Fu, Y.-F.; Hu, J.; Li, Z.-L. The Role of Alveolar Edema in COVID-19. Cells 2021, 10, 1897, doi:10.3390/cells10081897.
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread over the world for more than one year. COVID-19 often develops life-threatening hypoxemia. Endothelial injury caused by the viral infection leads to intravascular coagulation and ventilation-perfusion mismatch. However, besides above pathogenic mechanisms, the role of alveolar edema in the disease progression has not been discussed comprehensively. Since the exudation of pulmonary edema fluid was extremely serious in COVID-19 patients, we bring out a hypothesis that severity of alveolar edema may determine the size of poorly-ventilated area and the blood oxygen content. Treatments to pulmonary edema (alcohol-oxygen vapor therapy and fluid management) may be great helpful for reducing occurrence of severe cases. Given that late mechanical ventilation may cause mucus (edema fluid) to be blown to the deep of the small airways, oxygen therapy should be given at the early stages. The optimal time and SpO2 threshold for oxygen therapy are also discussed.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2; acute respiratory distress syndrome; hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction; alveolar edema; early low-flow oxygen
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Commenter: Shu Yuan
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