Covid-19 Impact on Mechanical Ventilators in the Healthcare Industry
VENTILATOR AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC The people whose lungs are severely compromised due to infection and are suffering from respiratory problems require respiratory support and this is aided by medical equipment known as a ventilator. The ventilator uses positive pressure to supply oxygen to the lungs through inner pathways and to completely monitor the patients' breathing cycle. The humidifier is used in the ventilator to add moisture and heat to the oxygen to match the temperature of the patient's body. The lungs of patients requiring mechanical ventilation due to COVID-19 are so inflamed that the oxygen can not reach the alveoli when the patient breathes, and the mechanical ventilator acts to force the oxygen flow to these small air passages under pressure. There are two types of medical ventilation: •
Invasive mechanical ventilation, and
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Non-invasive ventilation. Invasive mechanical ventilation uses an endotracheal tube that is inserted into the trachea for the flow of oxygen to the patient's lungs, while non-invasive ventilation does not use an internal tube. Non-invasive ventilation devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
