Who Needs a Ventilator
A new story in STAT suggests there may be other ways to treat some people with Covid-19
Does everyone need a ventilator?
An intriguing story published today by STAT News reports that some physicians are questioning whether ventilators may be overused in Covid-19 response. If there are other ways to treat people, it would help deal with the widespread shortage. Here’s a snippet:
What’s driving this reassessment is a baffling observation about Covid-19: Many patients have blood oxygen levels so low they should be dead. But they’re not gasping for air, their hearts aren’t racing, and their brains show no signs of blinking off from lack of oxygen.
That is making critical care physicians suspect that blood levels of oxygen, which for decades have driven decisions about breathing support for patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, might be misleading them about how to care for those with Covid-19. In particular, more and more are concerned about the use of intubation and mechanical ventilators. They argue that more patients could receive simpler, noninvasive respiratory support, such as the breathing masks used in sleep apnea, at least to start with and maybe for the duration of the illness.
Read the full story below.
