COVID-19: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing rapidly spreading illness, and COVID-19 has now affected thousands of people around the world. Clinicians are in urgent need of guidance to deal with this crisis.

A panel of 36 experts from 12 countries proposed 53 questions, reviewed literature for direct and indirect evidence on the management of COVID-19 in critically ill patients in the ICU, and identified relevant and recent systemic reviews related to supportive care. Based on this analysis and their assessment, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 panel has issued 54 statements, which include four best practice statements, nine strong recommendations, and 35 weak recommendations.

Here is a quick overview of the key recommendations and suggestions from the panel:

Infection Control

Adherence to infection control precautions is paramount as per these new guidelines. Preliminary data from Chinese CDC suggests that a considerable burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers, which in itself increases the risk of transmission. Therefore, healthcare workers who are performing aerosol-generating procedures such as endotracheal intubation, bronchoscopy, open suctioning, nebulized treatment, manual ventilation before intubation, tracheostomy or CPR on patients with COVID-19, must do so using fitted respirator masks and should also ensure they use personal protective equipment including gloves, gown, and eye protection through face shield or safety goggles.