
ER Doctor in NYC Says Ventilators May Be Harming Covid-19 Patients - ImpressiveWebs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWaq8HoEROU
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ImpressiveWebs
Just to be clear: He says it's not the ventilators themselves that are causing
the harm, but the way they are configured. He believes they are causing
pressure to the lungs that is making the situation worse for many patients.

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downerending
Even so, ventilators _do_ harm patients. The hope is that on average the
benefit is greater than the harm. They're no joke, though.

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opendomain
Can you explain? How do ventilators harm patients? Are there alternatives?

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downerending
I'm no expert, but apparently it has a lot of negative side effects. Most
people have to be heavily sedated, and just being immobile for a week or a
month takes a toll. There are problems with being intubated for this length of
time: stenosis (muscle seizure of the throat?), infections, etc. If they get
the vent settings wrong, pressure or volume can be too high, leading to lung
damage over time. Etc.

The exact figures are unclear, but it appears that most people going on vents
during this crisis are dying. Even read a report this morning that NYC might
need fewer vents than expected, simply because they can be so rapidly reused
(due to deaths of users).

Again, no expert, but the alternatives seem to be oxygen using means that make
it more available (can't recall the acronym--HFNC?), and non-invasive
ventilation (which doesn't involve intubation).

One story made it sound like doctors are preferring vents as much to keep the
medical staff safe as for the health of the patient. The alternatives to vents
risk spreading virus, whereas intubation apparently does not as much. Grim
choice.

