The pandemic has been relentless on healthcare
systems worldwide, as nations are struggling to contain the consequences of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus. In parallel, the world is racing to build more ventilators,
which are essential for critically ill COVID-19 patients with respiratory
distress. However, the shortage of trained staff raises the question: will
there be enough medical professionals left to operate them? Helmet-based
ventilators could help alleviate the problem, as its simplistic setup enables
them to be operated by a wider range of staff.
The
shortage of trained medical workers has compelled governments to consider
alternatives in mitigating the crisis. Some countries have reached out for
out-of-state support. The Republic of Cuba has deployed over
200 doctors to aid South Africa in the COVID-19 hotspot provinces. The US
Senate has introduced a new bill,
which, upon approval, would provide visas for approximately 40,000 foreign
doctors and nurses. The current health crisis has even encouraged some
universities to open a medical degree to
better staff the surrounding area with future professionals.
When
it comes to ventilators, essential for treating severe cases of the virus, the
situation becomes particularly concerning. Patients can be intubated only by
doctors or other medical staff, specifically trained to conduct the procedure.
Without the sufficient amount of experienced healthcare workers, patients in
need of ventilator support will not be able to get the necessary treatment.
Helmet-based ventilators (HBV) could help ease the pressure placed on the
system, as its simplistic design expands the range of medical staff that could
use the technology for patients battling the coronavirus.
“The
immense pressure has definitely taken a toll on all healthcare professionals,
working day and night to reduce the severity of the situation”, said Aurika
Savickaitė, MSN, APN. “Some procedures, necessary for treating coronavirus
patients, require having specific training, which not all medical staff
available on the premises may possess. Using helmet-based ventilators could
help better distribute duties among hospital personnel, as its intuitive design
does not require such intricate set of skills as intubation. This would give us
a greater chance to maintain the integrity of the healthcare system and keep it
from collapsing.”
Utilizing
HBV technology could also reduce the number of patients that need invasive
ventilation. Intubated patients are more likely to suffer severe consequences,
which heavily affect the quality of living in the aftermath of the virus. The
vast majority never fully recover, and
the ones that do often need to relearn basic motor skills, such as walking and
swallowing. So far, the use of the NIV hood helped to avoid intubation in 20 % of
COVID-19 patients.
“Introducing
the helmet-based ventilator as an additional step before resorting to
intubation would give people more of a fighting chance to return to their
normal life after beating the virus,” says Ms. Aurika Savickaitė. “Moreover, it
doesn’t require the patient to be heavily sedated, helping to save up on the
already scarce sedative reserve.”
In
addition to doing less damage to the patient than the mechanical ventilator,
the HBV is much more cost-efficient to produce. Its design consists of easily
obtainable parts, thus helmets can be produced even in at-home conditions.
People in support of the HBV initiative have been uniting in the “NIV Helmet Manufacturing
Project to Combat COVID-19” group, documenting the
manufacturing process and sharing their insights on how it can be improved.
Since the “bubble helmet” does not require being highly tech-savvy or complex
equipment, it could reinforce the pandemic relief effort in the emerging
countries, struggling to supply their hospitals with the critically needed
ventilators.
The
Helmet-based initiative is led by a group of medical professionals, who seek to
introduce the technology to all frontline workers fighting the virus. The team
has launched a website helmetbasedventilation.com,
where healthcare professionals, potential manufacturers and investors can
access all the know-how on the HBV and utilize the information to better
support the global COVID-19 response effort.
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