Summary of Strategies to Increase the Availability of ICU Ventilator Capability to COVID-19 Patients with Respiratory Failure
Abstract
Several strategies are available to increase the mechanical ventilation capability at institutions where the supply of ICU ventilators becomes inadequate to meet the needs of C19 patients. All of these strategies are underway at various stages and with different potential to address the problem. While there is existing equipment that can readily be repurposed, an important imperative is enhancing and coordinating manufacturing to produce not only new ventilation devices but also the disposables that will be essential including breathing circuits and viral filters. Maintaining an adequate supply and distribution of oxygen is also a critical need. The following is a summary of each strategy along with an assessment of what is needed to use the strategy effectively. The potential impact in terms of the number of devices that can be available, the timeframe and how they will be distributed are essential questions to address. Those questions remain to be answered and will require a coordinated task force with the responsibility and authority to take action.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1094005
Entities
People
- Jeffery M. Feldman
Organizations
- American Society of Anesthesiologists