CDZ Why not Improvise From Lack of Hospital Ventilator With Home Units?

[JimBowie1958]

The idea that there are only 33,000 or so 'worthy' ventilators in the entire USA sort of rubs me raw.

There are millions of little home ventilator units, why cant we use them as an intermediate step prior to going to the full scale hospital version?

Breathe In The Trilogy Ventilator Benefits - Aeroflow Healthcare

This machine is often referred to as the trilogy BiPAP machine as it uses Philips Respironics patented BiPAP technology to provide the most comfortable and appropriate flow of both air and pressure for each patient’s specific needs.

This ventilator can provide both volume and pressure ventilation types and is suited for both invasive and non-invasive applications. This versatility means that it can be utilized by patients suffering from a wide array of different health conditions. You may need a trilogy ventilator for COPD, respiratory disorders, spinal cord injuries, muscle or nerve disorders, and more.

The greatest benefit of the Trilogy Ventilator is undoubted in it’s simplicity. With a large and easy to read digital display screen, patients, and their caregivers can easily monitor all relevant settings and data in real time.

Additionally, the Trilogy’s SD card slot can store data for up to 1 year, allowing physicians and caregivers to have any data they may need to best manage patient conditions. The Trilogy breathing machine has both a detachable and internal battery power source in addition to the normal wall plug power cord.

Each of the two battery sources is rated for 3 to 4 hours of operation, providing 6-hour security window on average for patients in the event of a power interruption or other emergency need.

All of these innovative safety features will provide patients and their caregivers with greater peace of mind. The Trilogy home ventilator is also set up for easy oxygen integration, allowing patients to bleed in oxygen if their doctor requires it, without any modification to their equipment needed.​

And if the crunch gets really really bad, why not use a BIPAP machine and feed oxygen into it as a first step before a home ventilator?

My CPAP machine is strong enough to blow air not only into my lungs, but also into my stomach and out my ass as well.

These could supplement our available hospital ventilators for milder needs.

Why not?

 

[JimBowie1958]

Why Do I Need A Ventilator Instead Of A BiPAP Or CPAP?

BiPAPs are similar to CPAPs and maintain the goal of helping those with sleep apnea receive the oxygen they need during the night. However, BiPAPs deliver two different pressure settings for patients who have trouble exhaling with a CPAP.

They have a pressure prescribed for inhalation (ipap) and exhalation (epap) to allow patients to get more air in and out of their BiPAPs are generally prescribed when CPAPs have failed as a treatment option or when patients have low oxygen levels.

BiPAPs are effective at treating more than just sleep apnea and are often prescribed for disorders such as ALS, Parkinson’s, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and more.

Ventilator Machines
Ventilators are used to help patients breathe when it’s difficult for them to do so on their own due to a medical disorder such as pneumonia, COPD or other lung diseases, spinal cord injuries, muscle and nerve disorders, and more.

CPAPs and BiPAP devices are generally for overnight or partial use during the day while ventilators are needed for 24/7 support. Many ventilators offer BiPAP settings as well as volume settings.

There is a common misconception that ventilators are large pieces of equipment for bed-bound patients. However, there are options like the Trilogy Ventilator, that are noninvasive and mobile. By only weighing 11 pounds with a compact design patients are still able to maintain their freedom.​

 

[HenryBHough]

A CPAP may not be the whole answer but for many people it very well might be.

Prescriptions are required but I frequently see used ones on eBay with no questions asked.

Masks and tubing may be more difficult to get unprescribed but it's certainly not impossible.

Buying a used one by itself doesn't do much. You need a mask, tubing, perhaps a humidifier and definitely a clinician manual so you can set pressure levels. The manuals that come with a machine are NOT clinician level and won't help you change pressure. But with a little online search you can find one for most models. A set of new filters is a must and you might want to consider a (somewhat expensive) cleaning device 'cause you don't know who had the machine before you and what that person might have died of. Yes, most that show up for resale are from estates.

P.S. Just checked on used machines. Those that used to sell for $50 are now running around $200-$300. Still, not bad against a new machine at $1,400+. Not many on offer so a lot of people might have figured out this "new" potential use.

I speak from experience. I keep one at home plus a spare; one more at a remote cabin where it runs off 12VDC. Also one at a distant place I visit often. At home there's a fully-charged truck battery beside the machine.

Beware, though, of machines that require odd battery voltages! Some are sold with proprietary batteries of limited size that are good only for a few hours. A good sized truck battery is good for several days. Deep cycle batteries are best but are also very expensive.

 

[MarathonMike]

Sure a CPAP and an oxygen tank you are good to go at home. No need to fill up hospitals for that.

 

[sartre play]

Sure, as long as rich people don't buy up all the units that people with COPD & such need to stay alive.

 

[flacaltenn]

The idea that there are only 33,000 or so 'worthy' ventilators in the entire USA sort of rubs me raw.

There are millions of little home ventilator units, why cant we use them as an intermediate step prior to going to the full scale hospital version?

Breathe In The Trilogy Ventilator Benefits - Aeroflow Healthcare

This machine is often referred to as the trilogy BiPAP machine as it uses Philips Respironics patented BiPAP technology to provide the most comfortable and appropriate flow of both air and pressure for each patient’s specific needs.

This ventilator can provide both volume and pressure ventilation types and is suited for both invasive and non-invasive applications. This versatility means that it can be utilized by patients suffering from a wide array of different health conditions. You may need a trilogy ventilator for COPD, respiratory disorders, spinal cord injuries, muscle or nerve disorders, and more.

The greatest benefit of the Trilogy Ventilator is undoubted in it’s simplicity. With a large and easy to read digital display screen, patients, and their caregivers can easily monitor all relevant settings and data in real time.

Additionally, the Trilogy’s SD card slot can store data for up to 1 year, allowing physicians and caregivers to have any data they may need to best manage patient conditions. The Trilogy breathing machine has both a detachable and internal battery power source in addition to the normal wall plug power cord.

Each of the two battery sources is rated for 3 to 4 hours of operation, providing 6-hour security window on average for patients in the event of a power interruption or other emergency need.

All of these innovative safety features will provide patients and their caregivers with greater peace of mind. The Trilogy home ventilator is also set up for easy oxygen integration, allowing patients to bleed in oxygen if their doctor requires it, without any modification to their equipment needed.​

And if the crunch gets really really bad, why not use a BIPAP machine and feed oxygen into it as a first step before a home ventilator?

My CPAP machine is strong enough to blow air not only into my lungs, but also into my stomach and out my ass as well.

These could supplement our available hospital ventilators for milder needs.

Why not?

Great thinking man.. Acute care ventilators like you found are great if the patient is breathing ON THEIR OWN.. The kind of INTENSIVE care ventilators the authorities are talking about are for patient O2 sat levels at critically low levels (even on oxygen) that are TOO far gone to breath on their own.. They usually sedate people on intensive care ventilators to avoid stress and motion to conserve O2 in the blood..

So -- when you COME off the intensive care ventilator where you're fully intubated, they'll have something like the Home ventilator (no tube, just mask) in your recovery rooms...

 

[flacaltenn]

So here's some good news.. Probably wouldn't see an effect for 4 to 6 months, but God Bless Capitalism..

Automakers offer to build ventilators as US faces critical shortage

There's numbers in there that disturb me because they are misleading and lead to more panic than needed. Something like "900,000 cases may need ventilators over the course of the epidemic, but only 200,000 are available"....

It's NOT as bad as all that because "the course of the disease" is probably 4 or 5 months. And in any one WEEK, the number of folks NEEDING ICU ventilators won't be far in EXCESS of what we have... And the 900,000 is some guess that's as good as yours or mine at this point..

Largely depends on how badly it gets loose in the LARGER cities which have not been hit yet (for some reason)...

 

[HenryBHough]

Plenty of blood Oxygen monitors on Amazon and e-Bay for around $10 (unless somebody started gouging since last I looked). No, they're not "medical grade" - intended only for athletic use. But I bought one months ago and take it to my doctor's office for routine checkups. My $10 monitor and his $300 monitor agree on both pulse and Oxygen levels. They don't help with any problem but can let you know if any exists.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

The idea that there are only 33,000 or so 'worthy' ventilators in the entire USA sort of rubs me raw.

There are millions of little home ventilator units, why cant we use them as an intermediate step prior to going to the full scale hospital version?

Breathe In The Trilogy Ventilator Benefits - Aeroflow Healthcare

This machine is often referred to as the trilogy BiPAP machine as it uses Philips Respironics patented BiPAP technology to provide the most comfortable and appropriate flow of both air and pressure for each patient’s specific needs.​

​

This ventilator can provide both volume and pressure ventilation types and is suited for both invasive and non-invasive applications. This versatility means that it can be utilized by patients suffering from a wide array of different health conditions. You may need a trilogy ventilator for COPD, respiratory disorders, spinal cord injuries, muscle or nerve disorders, and more.​

​

The greatest benefit of the Trilogy Ventilator is undoubted in it’s simplicity. With a large and easy to read digital display screen, patients, and their caregivers can easily monitor all relevant settings and data in real time.​

​

Additionally, the Trilogy’s SD card slot can store data for up to 1 year, allowing physicians and caregivers to have any data they may need to best manage patient conditions. The Trilogy breathing machine has both a detachable and internal battery power source in addition to the normal wall plug power cord.​

​

Each of the two battery sources is rated for 3 to 4 hours of operation, providing 6-hour security window on average for patients in the event of a power interruption or other emergency need.​

​

All of these innovative safety features will provide patients and their caregivers with greater peace of mind. The Trilogy home ventilator is also set up for easy oxygen integration, allowing patients to bleed in oxygen if their doctor requires it, without any modification to their equipment needed.​

And if the crunch gets really really bad, why not use a BIPAP machine and feed oxygen into it as a first step before a home ventilator?

My CPAP machine is strong enough to blow air not only into my lungs, but also into my stomach and out my ass as well.

These could supplement our available hospital ventilators for milder needs.

Why not?

I think you are right. Everyone is screaming about a shortage just to be extra cautious, but you can actually put several T fittings on the hoses so that one ventilator can feed several people. Also, bag masks or Ambu bags are numerous and serve the same function and can be fitted with mechanical compression devices.