The most common symptoms of COVID-19—such as cough, fever, and shortness of breath—relate to the respiratory system. But early in the pandemic, doctors began reporting that sometimes the damage went further.

“When COVID hit, it became clear to us that it had pretty devastating consequences on various organ systems,” said Daniel Burnett, M.D., the founder and CEO of TheraNova, a company in San Francisco that develops medical devices. “It can really have a dramatic impact on the lungs or the heart, liver, intestine, and kidneys.” Once multiple organs have failed, many people never recover.

Burnett and his colleagues realized they had something that could help: a device designed to support organ health for people in the intensive care unit (ICU). They applied for—and received—funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to continue developing the device.

Washing the belly

The new invention delivers a treatment known as direct peritoneal resuscitation.

Direct peritoneal resuscitation washes the inside of the abdomen (the belly area) with water mixed with sugar, salt, and other additives. This is thought to support the organs in various ways. For example, it may take over the role of the kidneys by soaking up toxins from the blood. In fact, every day thousands of people with kidney failure use the same solution at home, putting fluid into the abdomen, then draining it in a treatment known as peritoneal dialysis. It’s an alternative to going to a center for hemodialysis, often just called dialysis.

Preliminary studies have found that direct peritoneal resuscitation can improve the health of failing organs. But getting the fluid into the belly requires implanting a catheter, which is normally done with surgery. A person who is on life support in the ICU is too sick for that. Burnett and his colleagues are developing a safer way to give the treatment.