TOLEDO, Ohio — One of the biggest jobs on the front lines of this pandemic is respiratory therapists. Many of them are working tirelessly to keep those battling this virus alive.
Like all medical professionals, they are facing a shortage, of personal protective equipment and ventilators.
"Ventilators are always important in ICU level care, we're just seeing a huge influx of patients coming through our doors right now, and quite frankly the system isn't equipped to handle it," University of Toledo Associate Professor of Respiratory Care, Nicole McKenzie, said.
The number of coronavirus patients experiencing respiratory failure is growing. This means their bodies are not exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide properly. Ventilators take over that process.
But right now with a shortage across the country, respiratory therapists are adapting to new machines.
"But that means it's going to be a different type of machine. So you might hear talk of emergency stockpiles, disaster stockpiles, but these machines are much simpler than the typical machine the hospital has on their fleet," McKenzie said.
The challenge for respiratory therapists is helping a patient get better while using a ventilator with a lack of customized adjustments.
On top of coronavirus related patients who need ventilators, there are also other patients, like those who may have just recovered from a fire, who also need ventilators. And as intensive care units across the country continue to admit patients with severe breathing issues due to coronavirus, medical professionals are exchanging strategies for how to cope
"Everyone is sharing strategies that are working best and things that aren't working," McKenzie said.
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