Ventilator machine

COVID-19 is stretching health care resources in many different ways, but there’s a key piece of equipment getting a lot of attention: ventilators. So, what is a ventilator, and why does it matter? What does a ventilator do? The machine helps with two important functions: get more oxygen into the lungs and take carbon dioxide out. “A ventilator is a fairly fancy piece of technological equipment which is designed to breathe for somebody who is unable to breathe effectively on their own,” said Lungs are interwoven with blood vessels, which is how oxygen gets into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide gets carried out. COVID-19 makes this exchange more difficult in the most severe cases because a patient’s lungs are inflamed and filled with fluid. (This also happens with infections like pneumonia). A ventilator essentially helps a patient’s lungs accomplish this task. Modern ventilators consist of a pump machine and a tube that health care professionals slide into your windpipe to control airflow. It’s important to understand that ventilators do not cure COVID-19, but they help support lung function while a patient’s body is fighting the infection. How ventilators were developed Robert Hooke, the 17th-century polymath scientist who coined the term “cell,” was the first to In the 1920s, two Harvard University scholars, Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw, created a new form of ventilation as a treatment for polio, a disease that in its most severe cases paralyzes lung muscles. T...

Share on Pinterest Hope Connolly/Getty Images Breathing difficulties can impact your quality of life. Fortunately, a variety of machines can help you breathe better. You may have heard of In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what BPAP machines are, how they work, and what to expect if you use one. A BPAP is a form of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) therapy used to facilitate breathing. BPAP machines can be used in hospitals, and are also available for those who need them at home. Home BPAP machines are compact — about the size of a toaster. The machine features a tube that connects to a mask which is worn over your nose and mouth. Like other ventilators, BPAP machines use pressure to push air into your lungs. Depending on the settings, this opens the lungs, improving the level of oxygen in the blood and decreasing the carbon dioxide. These machines are called “bilevel” because they have two air pressure settings: • When you breathe in, BPAP machines deliver more air pressure. This is also known as inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP). • When you breathe out, the machine reduces the air pressure. This is called expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP). Some BPAP machines have a timer that can be programmed to maintain a certain number of breaths per minute. BPAP machines can be used at home to treat medical conditions that make it difficult to breathe. Some conditions that it may be helpful for include: • • • • • BPAP machines may be used in hospitals to tre...

Getty A ventilator, or breathing machine, is a potentially life-saving treatment for people who can’t breathe effectively on their own. Many patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 (the disease caused by novel Learn more about ventilators, including the benefits and risks of mechanical breathing and what to expect if you or a loved one needs a ventilator. How Ventilators Work Every part of the human body requires oxygen to function. Without an adequate oxygen supply, important body parts shut down. Without intervention, death may occur. Normally, blood picks up oxygen in the lungs and carries it to all tissues of the body, including the brain and heart. When people experience lung failure or severe respiratory distress (including severe Ventilators take over the work of breathing; the machine pushes oxygen into the lungs. Before mechanical ventilation begins, healthcare providers administer “sleeping” medicine (a sedative) and numb the patient’s throat. A highly trained professional inserts a breathing tube down the throat, into the lungs. (This procedure is called intubation.) The breathing tube is connected to the ventilator—a bulky machine that’s usually placed at the bedside—via a flexible plastic hose. The ventilator blows air and oxygen into the lungs and removes carbon dioxide. What to Expect During Ventilator Treatment Patients are not usually alert during ventilator treatment. The healthcare team administers medicine, including sedatives and A person who is on...