![]() One of the most common complications of using a mechanical ventilator is pneumonia, since the breathing tube allows bacteria and viruses to easily reach your lungs. It also puts healthcare workers at risk by exposing them to the virus. Now the rate is only about half of that, since medical professionals have more knowledge about how to best treat the disease.īeing put on a ventilator is considered a high-risk procedure due to the potential complications. How serious is being put on a ventilator?ĭuring the first wave of COVID-19, about 75 percent of people admitted to critical care units were placed on a mechanical ventilator. They also help clear away carbon dioxide and rebalance your blood’s pH levels. These machines can provide air with an elevated oxygen content and create pressure in your lungs to assist with breathing. This buildup can lead to hypoxemia, meaning your body becomes deprived of oxygen.Ī ventilator has the lifesaving task of supporting the lungs. Inflammation caused by the infection can interfere with your lungs’ ability to clear fluid and debris. Once it enters your body, it can work its way to your lungs, where it’s thought to invade epithelial cells that line your airways. The virus that causes COVID-19 can enter your body through your nose, mouth, or eyes. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).There are hundreds of types of coronaviruses, but only seven are known to affect humans.įour of these viruses cause mild disease, but three can cause potentially severe respiratory infections: It falls into a group of viruses called coronaviruses. How ventilators treat people with COVID-19ĬOVID-19 is the name of the condition caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in late 2019.
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