Nursing care experience: Patient with respiratory symptoms due to SARS-CoV-2 in an emergency department

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection has a broad spectrum of symptoms such as fever, cough, dyspnea, lymphopenia, and chest imaging findings consistent with pneumonia. Symptom Management Theory proposes nursing interventions to managing symptoms, and reduce their frequency, reduce their severity or alleviate the anxiety associated with them. In this article, we discuss the experience of caring for a patient who consults the emergency department for presenting symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and dyspnea, asthenia, fever 38.3 ºC, breathing 26 per minute, dry cough and anxiety. He was diagnosed with impaired gas exchange, ineffective breathing patterns, and anxiety. The nursing interventions were respiratory monitoring, oxygen therapy, intubation and stabilization of the airway, management of invasive mechanical ventilation, aid to ventilation, and anxiety reduction. Despite the care provided according to the available evidence, the patient worsened his symptoms, and it was necessary to offer invasive ventilatory support.