OT: Ventilators - that real story

[John Rumm]

One of the better explanations that have seen:

[Richard]

That was interesting. More to it than using a supercharger.

[John]

He can't speak properly. They way he pronounces "many" and "any".

British industry should be making this by the thousands 24/7. Our resident buffoon, Bozo, decided we do not need them. So thousands are dying. The idiots who voted for Bozo, think that is fine.

[Tim Streater]

Yes. Thanks, JR, I'm glad I caught that.

[Mark]

and this is worth a read as well

[Tim+]

I guess it?s a case of ?needs must? but those bag squeezers look frighteningly ?mickey mouse?.

Tim

[AJH]

Fascinating. I was also intrigued by the news today that "Holby City" use real ventilators.

On the point about natural breathing being a sucking and the modern ventilators being pressure fed: way back in the days before I saw television an elder sister of one of my playmates came down with polio, we never saw much of her after that as she became paralysed with cerebral palsy IIRC, but she was put on an "iron lung" during her treatment in hospital.

Some years later in the "whirlybirds" era I saw such an iron lung, either on TV or in a film. It looked like the patient's body was encased up to the neck where there was a seal, like a dry suit. I imagined this worked by reducing the pressure rhythmically??

[Graham.]

There was an American guy interviewed on the news yesterday that kept including "respirators" in a list of medics' PPE, gowns, masks visors etc. I realise of course that another kind of respirator could well be considered as PPE, but with everyone focused on bedside ICU machines, and his remark was unqualified, I wondered if he knew what he was talking about.

[Richard]

Being an American, he probably knew exactly what he meant. We don't drive on pavements.

[Dave Liquorice]

But not for real... having the real thing fed from a simulator out of shot is the only real way of getting the right readings, beeps and things happening on cue.

Yes, probably increased the pressure to squish the chest as well.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Often cheaper to simply buy the real thing than have small numbers of dummies made. That really do look the part.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Doing resuscitation on TV must present problems. Doing realistic CPR, and getting the 'patient' to jump convincingly when they shock the heart. A props guy lying under the bed thumping your back? ;-)

[Andy Burns]

I was surprised there are dedicated hospital studio sets to hire

[charles]

maybe they feature in adverts as well as real programmes

[John Rumm]

The term respirator is commonly used to mean a mask with high levels of filtration. Often passive, but can also be fan assisted.

The 3M "dust mask" I normally use (4000 series) is technically called a half mask respirator.

[Martin Brown]

Yes. A collaboration between Lord Nuffield and the owner of Alvis race cars Captain G T Smith-Clarke who developed the modern iron lung.

He was a very interesting guy. Had his own large telescope which was later donated to Jodrell Bank. Rumour has it that he also advised on some engineering gotchas that the Jodrell Mk1 ran into as well.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

On 'The Bill', which did have its own hospital set, we had a fully qualified nurse as an advisor. And was used a few times on screen doing a procedure an actor couldn't be easily taught how to do.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Just to add, it wasn't uncommon to use a real ambulance and crew (or a paramedic vehicle) hired in direct from the NHS. Crew on a rest day. Same with Fire Engines.

[Andy Burns]

streetview shows a "non-standard" one parked in the street

[AJH]

Thanks Martin