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Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:43 am
by Hannibal 2
Julie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:15 am
Why do you assume those? Only a doctor could say.
Not assuming anything, just thinking - what would we try if we cannot get hold of a doctor, not looking medical advice

Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:13 am
by rick blaine
The BBC has been running this story since yesterday afternoon.
The text doesn't say, but I suspect the most significant variation from machines currently used for CPAP is the pressure. Ventilators can go up to 35 cm*, and they do that in order to physically inflate the lung (the usual indicator to begin intubation and ventilation is: the patient has stopped breathing on their own. Ie, the diapgragm isn't moving).
There is also the hint in the text that doctors will be using this on 'less serious' cases. Ie, they are thinking of a scale of support – freeing up the hard-core existing hospital-standard vents for the really severe cases.
Another key difference from the standard ventilator is: what happens to the out-breath air? With a standard ventilator, it doesn't go to the room, because the tube is invasive – that is, it fits tightly into the trachea.
So, it's toward the end of the piece that the BBC health correspondent Fergus Walsh mentions mask fit, and the risk of droplets being fed into the room. There is even of mention of trapping and evacuating that expired air via some sort of helmet.
* And before anyone jumps in to 'educate' me, I do know there are home-patient use bi-level machines which can go up to 25cm or even 30cm.
Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:14 am
by rick blaine
And I hasten to add, the equipment is only one half of the solution. The other half – a trained respiratory nurse – is just as important.
Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:35 am
by palerider
rick blaine wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:13 am
The BBC has been running this story since yesterday afternoon.
The text doesn't say, but I suspect the most significant variation from machines currently used for CPAP is the pressure. Ventilators can go up to 35 cm*,
I believe they can go higher than that. One video from a doctor was discussing a PS of 25, with a PEEP of 15, but I am not sure.
Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:24 am
by chunkyfrog
Wait just a minute--the article says they will be making cpaps.
Nothing fancy.
READ the article!
Re: Mercedes to produce CPAP machines for COVID-19 patients
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:22 am
by rick blaine
From other reports – ie,
The Guardian newspaper – it's clear the machines adapted by Mercedes' engineers are meant for those patients who need supplemental oxygen, but not intubation and ventilation. Quote:
Tim Cook, a professor of anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at the Royal United hospital Bath NHS foundation trust, said: "If the patient can stay on a Cpap machine they can stay on a ward looked after by specialised nurses rather than ICU nurses.
“A ward can probably look after 10 of these patients with two nurses and one doctor. Ten patients on ICU may need five or 10 nurses and three to four doctors.
"The cost and manpower needed on ICU is much, much greater, and ICU is a lot more complex and hazardous.”
Now, clearly both the BBC journalist and the Guardian journalist are not aware that existing CPAP machines already have the ability to blend in O2, post-machine. And have had that ability, for some years now.
File under: newsdesk hungry for good news stories.
COVID-19, CPAP and Ventilators
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:48 am
by dbg1950!2020
Someone shared two good YouTube videos over the weekend explaining COVID-19, CPAP and Ventilators
Coronavirus - Ventilators and CPAP -
https://youtu.be/BjHG3LMmiVc
COVID-19 and CPAP -
https://youtu.be/0S98q5-x8GM
Bottom line - CPAP and biPAP are not substitutes for a ventilator when one is needed, and it is important to 'bag' your 'exhaust' to keep from spreading COVID-19
Re: COVID-19, CPAP and Ventilators
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:56 am
by Pugsy
Folks....we have multiple threads on this same discussion...before posting duplicate information please check for recent threads/posts with same information.
There's no sense in wasting board resources with so much duplicate information when it is easily reduced if people would look around the recent posts.
There is a search function at the top left side of the page....use it please.
COVID 19, CPAP, Ventilator MEGA THREAD...everything goes here please
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:37 pm
by Pugsy
We are having a large number of essentially duplicate posting of same links and information about cpap/ventilator/ for COVID 19.
How about we put them all in this thread? I will be moving the other threads/posts to this thread as I see them.
Many posts predate my post here so that's why this is down on the list. I can't fix that.
Re: COVID 19, CPAP, Ventilator MEGA THREAD...everything go here please
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:48 pm
by DreamDiver
A web page I created about Covid-19
https://amateurethicist.com/2020/03/covid-19-osf/
The accompanying video:

Re: COVID 19, CPAP, Ventilator MEGA THREAD...everything go here please
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:56 pm
by chunkyfrog
Obviously, the news outlet laid off all the TALENTED PEOPLE,
leaving only the professional goof-off.
So very not surprised.
Re: COVID-19, CPAP and Ventilators
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:42 pm
by Hannibal 2
Pugsy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:56 am
Folks....we have multiple threads on this same discussion...before posting duplicate information please check for recent threads/posts with same information.
There's no sense in wasting board resources with so much duplicate information when it is easily reduced if people would look around the recent posts.
There is a search function at the top left side of the page....use it please.
Apologies for my part, I did search before starting a thread, just didn't use any of the matching text. Thanks for pulling it all together

Re: COVID 19, CPAP, Ventilator MEGA THREAD...everything go here please
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:12 pm
by Pugsy
Hannibal 2 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:42 pm
Apologies for my part, I did search before starting a thread, just didn't use any of the matching text. Thanks for pulling it all together
No problem...I will be the first to admit that the search function is far from perfect even when we use known same text.
It's just plain weird acting sometimes.
But now we have one place to dump it all.
I am not going to sort through all the links though to remove duplicates. That's way too much work but doing this will at least hopefully reduce further duplication.
Re: COVID 19, CPAP, Ventilator MEGA THREAD...everything go here please
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:56 pm
by palerider
For all you people that want to play "make a vent outta my cpap"....
START HERE:
http://newsroom.medtronic.com/news-rele ... 20003550=1
Re: Converting CPAPs into ventilators
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 1:42 pm
by alancalan
palerider wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:59 am
JDS74 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:46 am
Just a thought.
For non-invasive ventilation, the two classes of CPAP - ASV and S/T, can already operate in this mode.
No, an ASV is unsuitable, and cannot operate in whatever "mode".
ST, yes, *VAPS, yes, ASV, no. S, no, auto, no.
I'm long overdue for a new machine. I have been getting the vpaps and the last one was the S9 auto vpap. Would it be smart to get an AirCurve 10 ST-A in case i ever need it and what would it take for a Dr, to prescribe that? I wonder if slight COPD is enough. My sleep Dr. is an ENT and I have a feeling I would need a pulmonologist for that machine.