> They slow down all patient care that doesn't involve the head.
That's an understatement. The entire body is in a pressure vessel and is inaccessible. You can't even easily give medication or draw blood. I wouldn't say iron lungs are "superior"; they're no longer used for good reasons that don't just boil down to cost/bulkiness reasons. Also, modern ventilators aren't that cheap anyway.
You easily give medication or draw blood via the head. Air locks and captive gloves (like a glove box) are also workable.
If you were to be the patient, I think you would say iron lungs are "superior". The alternative is tubes jammed down your throat, which is horrible torture. I had a relative who literally chose death over the tubes. He would fight to rip them out, despite knowing that he needed them. Finally the hospital gave in, and now he's dead.
That's an understatement. The entire body is in a pressure vessel and is inaccessible. You can't even easily give medication or draw blood. I wouldn't say iron lungs are "superior"; they're no longer used for good reasons that don't just boil down to cost/bulkiness reasons. Also, modern ventilators aren't that cheap anyway.