The Great Ventilator Fiasco of COVID-19

The Miami Times ^ | 04/30/20 | Robin Francis

[Pining_4_TX]

Science is not a set of facts. Science is a method by which we try to work out facts. But when science course-corrects in the public eye, instead of being lauded as improving our models, the public and media seize on it by saying, "Doctors don't know what they're doing. Doctors are killing people."

COVID-19 is a new disease, one we've never seen before. When it first hit our shores, we thought it would behave in the same way that other pneumonias that cause an acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, do. These patients have stiff lungs and require high pressures, and we were told to intubate early. Many patients did behave just like this, but many did not. The amazing thing about the Internet and social media is we started talking about these experiences.

Elon Musk might think that ITUs are blindly setting everybody to high pressures and oxygen settings, but being a #zentensivist is about making tiny adjustments, watching, waiting, adjusting again, being aggressive in your conservatism, and doing your utmost to do as little as you can to the patient. The idea that Elon has of doctors turning the ventilator up to 11 and just walking off is nonsense.

[newzjunkey]

there are different causes of pneumonia. viral is one (including flu A & B). bacterial might be more common but fungi can also cause it.

[TexasGator]

“Mainly about how to hoodwink more people.”

So you agree about the illegal house arrests ?

[Pining_4_TX]

Wow, I didn’t say I agreed with the article. I just thought it makes some interesting points. FR is a tough crowd.