The End of Mechanical Ventilation?
As the regular readers of The Anesthesia Blog have noticed, I tend to steer more more towards new technology as it relates to the passage of the gassage. Its what I enjoy reading about and why I think most of the readership turns to blogs over texts. Here’s one tech breakthrough that knocked my socks off:
From Pulmonary Reviews:
PHILADELPHIA—A lung replacement device that oxygenates blood and removes CO2 was safely tested over a seven-day period in sheep. “Target CO2 removal was achieved,” while daily blood work values were not significantly affected; no adverse effects were found, reported Andriy I. Batchinsky, MD, at the American College of Chest Physicians 2008 Annual International Scientific Assembly. A device of this type potentially could replace currently available mechanical ventilators and thus eliminate the risks associated with their use, Dr. Batchinsky suggested.
We’ve come a long way from the iron lung. While this type of technology will undoubtedly take time to pass muster, it is quite the interesting concept. Not sure it’ll replace the LMA or ET tube as the preferred method of CO2 exchange under anesthesia. It does involve large bore venous access after all. It could be an addition to the difficult airway algorithim…after surgical airway of course. You know, the slash trach we all learned how to do in training. Stay tuned for updates.
