Importance of Ventilator’s and Its use in this Coronavirus COVID – 19 Crisis
Thousands of ventilators have been ordered by the Indian Federal government to aid relieve the stress on healthcare facilities brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.
Currently, a concern emerges why is ventilator so vital in this important phase?
What is a Ventilator?
A ventilator is essential for people with the most awful impacts of the infection, and it supplies the most effective chance of survival and it likewise gives the person time to eliminate off the infection as well as recuperate quickly.
Mechanism of Ventilator’s
There are two types of Ventilator’s
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Non – Invasive Ventilation
According to WHO 80% of people with Covid-19 infected recover without needing hospital treatment. on the other hand, one out of six becomes seriously ill and may develop breathing difficulties. In order to handle these severe cases as there is a chance that the virus can damage lungs which are being detected by the body’s immune system and expands blood vessels so that more immune cells enter. But nevertheless, there is a chance that this can cause fluid to enter the lungs, making it harder to breathe
, and causing the body’s oxygen levels to drop.To avoid this dangerous stage a mechanical ventilator is used to push air, with increased levels of oxygen, into the lungs. It has a humidifier, which modifies adds heat and moisture to the medical air so it matches the patient’s body temperature. COVID 19 Infected Patients are given medication to relax the respiratory muscles so their breathing can be fully regulated by the machine.
Non-Invasive Ventilation Patients with milder symptoms are given ventilation using facemasks, nasal masks or mouthpieces which allows pressurized air or mixtures of gases to be pushed into the lungs.
Hoods, where pressurized oxygen is pumped in via a valve, are also being commonly used to treat Covid-19 patients as they reduce the risk of airborne transmission of the virus from droplets in the breath.
However, ICUs would generally put patients suffering acute respiratory distress on mechanical ventilation quickly, to ensure oxygen levels in the body stay normal.
Dr. Shondipon Laha from the Intensive Care Society in a statement to the BBC said that – most patients with Covid-19 would not need a mechanical ventilator and could be treated at home or with supplementary oxygen. But although there were risks when using ventilators, such as not knowing who would suffer long-term effects, he stated as sometimes a ventilator was the only way of getting oxygen into the patient.
Another issue, Dr. Laha specified, was having enough of the best staff in place to take care of all the ventilators anticipated to be needed.
Dr specified that – A ventilator is a piece of very complex machinery- it can trigger an individual trauma if not set up correctly, The technical aspects are very challenging. People know differing types of a ventilator in other specialties however may need support in operation them in extensive treatment if they’re not familiar with this.
