Intensive care therapy during the pandemic in 2020 and beyond: Mnemonics can help

Abstract

In a busy working environment, with a shortage of healthcare workers and increased workloads since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of an easy-to-remember mnemonic can significantly help anesthesiologists and clinicians in conducting intensive therapy. One of the first mnemonics in critical care therapy was implemented by Jean-Louis Vincent in 2005. FAST HUG concept reminds clinicians of crucial moments in therapy - nutritional support(F-feeding), analgesia and sedation (A - analgesia, S - sedation), thrombosis prophylaxis (T - thrombolytic prophylaxis), head elevation in bed (H - head of the elevated bed), antiulcer therapy (U - stress ulcer prevention) and glycemic control (G - glucose control). This acronym has been modified and tested in several studies over the years for the treatment of different patient types. This concept is widely utilized in intensive care units, it is characterized with easy implementation, and proved to be useful in ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention. Therapy of critically ill patients with COVID-19 is based on elements of general intensive care therapy with some specific therapeutic guidelines. With the intention to ease and improve therapy of patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units, a new and comprehensive acronym is proposed: One Fast Hug Bids COVID.