Simultaneous mechanical ventilation of several patients with a single ventilator.

Castañón-González, Jorge Alberto; Camacho-Juárez, Sergio; Gorordo-Delsol, Luis Antonio; Garduño-López, Jessica; Pérez-Nieto, Orlando; Amezcua-Gutiérrez, Marcos Antonio; Vejar, Germán Fernández-de Alba

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.