In most cases, a majority of patients in intensive care who have been connected to a respirator for a maximum of 3 days are cared for. But patients with covid-19 are cared for significantly longer than that.

As many as 75 percent of patients treated with a respirator with covid-19 had care times of more than 3 days.

"The long care times are an explanation for why these patients make up such a large proportion of those in intensive care now," says Johnny Hillgren, chief physician in intensive care and chairman of the Swedish Intensive Care Register.

Due to impaired lung function

35 percent of patients with covid-19 treated with respirators were cared for more than 10 days. According to chief physician Johnny Hillgren, it is mainly because lung function is so impaired in covid-19 patients.

- I think they are pretty much the same as patients suffering from severe lung diseases. They usually stay on IVA for several weeks. But then it is not about so many patients at the same time.

More than a month

Seven patients treated with a respirator with covid-19 had care times of more than 30 days.

These care times will eventually become even longer - since only patients who have already left intensive care are included in these statistics so far.

Usually requires more drugs

There are several differences between patients with covid-19 and other patients with lung failure.

- The nature of the disease is not the same. We have seen that several of the covid-19 patients are difficult when it comes to respiratory settings and it usually requires more medication, says Johnny Hillgren.

Patients with covid-19 often need more sleep and sedatives when they are cared for in a respirator.

Trying to keep patients awake

- In normal intensive care we try to keep patients as awake as possible in the respirator. We know that it shortens the time in the respirator and reduces the risk of psychological consequences afterwards. But patients with covid-19 often need to sleep harder. Not least to make breathing work. And they seem to tolerate more sedative drugs, says Johnny Hillgren.