
Ask HN: How can we increase hospital bed/ventilator capacity in the US? - floetic
If China can build one in 10+ days why can’t we accomplish similar feat? Probably won’t happen here.<p>Let’s discuss more about feasible solutions here in the US. Can ventilators somehow be shared safely so that we can effectively double the capacity? Are there alternatives to ventilators?
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olegious
This is why we shouldn't suspend building codes to quickly build hospitals:
[https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/07/china/china-coronavirus-
hotel...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/07/china/china-coronavirus-hotel-
collapse/index.html)

Maybe other than increasing bed capacity, we should do a better job of
teaching people how to reduce the chances of getting complications from things
like the flu and giving them the resources and support to do so, this way we
can reduce the need for hospital beds. I'm talking about the importance of bed
rest, fluids, etc. and paid sick leave and access to video healthcare
consultations. It is amazing to me how many people are out and about while
ill.

In terms of increasing hospital beds- we can reuse some of the hotels that
have temporarily shut for business, but more beds don't mean that we'll have
enough health workers available to support the people in these beds. This
brings us back to "reduce complications and don't fill the beds."

~~~
dpeck
| This is why we shouldn't suspend building codes to quickly build hospitals

"The hotel was a seven-story steel structure, built in 2013 and converted to a
hotel in 2018, according to Xinhua"

It doesn't appear to me that this has anything to do with building codes being
suspended, but I do agree with you that they should not be.

~~~
olegious
That part of my comment refers to the well known issue that China often builds
things quickly while taking shortcuts in building standards (either because
they don't exist or due to corruption).

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daotoad
This gets a 4x extension of our ventilator supply:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16885402](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16885402)

We also have thousands of small manufacturers and hobbyists who are capable of
building improvised ventilators should guidance be provided.

Since we are going into spring and summer months, we can use tents to set up
extra space.

Also since schools are empty, they can provide additional spaces.

We have capacity, we just need leadership and direction.

~~~
Engineering-MD
The problem with this (multiple patients on one generator) is it’s far from
ideal and hugely experimental. It’s not really been done for prolonged periods
or in large numbers. Patients would need to be matched for physiological
variables, and it may reduce modifying these parameters dynamically.

~~~
onetimemanytime
at least they can try it. If 1400 patients show in an afternoon, this may seem
like paradise.

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onetimemanytime
Ventilators might be the issue, I'm sure the Army Engineers can do something
pretty quick with field hospitals.

But then, they have to also be ready for war--just in case.

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jobseeker990
All of those abandoned anchor stores you see in shopping centers could become
hospitals.

