Permanent Lung Damage

[Vagus]

Will those people who have had this virus and been in hospital on a ventilator suffer permanent lung damage as a result? Does severe pneumonia cause lung scarring for instance?
I was wondering about the long term effects of it all, both on the people affected and the follow up monitoring.

[Buenchico]

See here:
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-survivors-lung-damage-ards-fcim-intensive-care-research-2020-3?r=US&IR=T

[rowanwitch]

I have a partially fibrosed lung after pneumonia , ventilation can cause some damage but if the trade off is survival....

[rowanwitch]

Mostly the damage happens when higher pressures are needed to ventilate... Modern ventilators are more sensitive and it is likely that only patients on them a lot longer will have problems. It's also why those with long term copd are problematic, emphysematous lungs are fragile and already have dead space and those with chronic secretion filled ones are more prone to damage.
I know from experience that it's not always ventilating them that is a problem it's getting them off it. I cared for a few who just couldn't be weaned off because the respiratory muscles had become too weak. Not common and it is unlikely these patients would be considered for ventilation under the new guidelines. They could do well in other forms of support like CPAP though where they are assisted but still breathe for themselves.

[anneasquith]

What are the current new guidelines re ventilation R . ?

[rowanwitch]

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng159

It makes for scary reading

[anneasquith]

I’ll keep that for later ;-(

[Vagus]

Thank you all, particularly Rowan for your very explanatory post.
I have a scar across the bottom of my left lung which I have no idea how it happened, could have been whooping cough as an adult about 12 years ago but even the consultant wasn’t sure.
I too will have a good read of that link later.