Simultaneous mechanical ventilation of several patients with a single ventilator [Ventilación mecánica simultánea con un solo ventilador a varios pacientes]

Introduction: Simultaneous mechanical ventilation of several patients with a single ventilator might reduce the deficit of these devices for the care of patients with acute respiratory failure due to Covid-19. Objective: To communicate the results of a mechanical ventilation exercise with a ventilator in a lung simulator, and simultaneously in two and four. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between programmed, recorded and measured positive end-expiratory pressure, mean airway pressure and peak pressure, except when simultaneously ventilating four lung simulators. Conclusions: Simultaneous mechanical ventilation should be implemented by medical personnel with experience in the procedure, be restricted to two patients and carried out in the intensive care unit. © 2020, Academia Nacional de Medicina. All rights reserved.

acute respiratory failure; airway pressure; Article; artificial ventilation; authority; breathing rate; coronavirus disease 2019; expiratory reserve volume; human; inspiratory capacity; intensive care unit; lung pressure; medical personnel; monitoring; peak expiratory flow; positive end expiratory pressure; artificial ventilation; Coronavirus infection; devices; equipment design; mechanical ventilator; pandemic; pathophysiology; procedures; respiratory failure; virology; virus pneumonia; Coronavirus Infections; Equipment Design; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Positive-Pressure Respiration; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Insufficiency; Ventilators, Mechanical

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