Happy hypoxia in critical COVID-19 patient: A case report in Tangerang, Indonesia

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern with increasing cases globally, including in Indonesia. COVID-19 clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic, acute respiratory illness, respiratory failure that necessitate mechanical ventilation and support in an intensive care unit (ICU), to multiple organ dysfunction syndromes. Some patients might present with happy hypoxia, a condition where patients have low oxygen saturations (SpO2 < 90%), but are not in significant respiratory distress and often appear clinically well, which is confusing for the doctors and treatment strategies. Most infections are mild in nature and have a relatively low case fatality rate (CFR); however, critical COVID-19 patients who need support in ICU have high CFR. We would like to report a case of happy hypoxia in a critical COVID-19-positive ICU hospitalized patient who survived from Indonesia.