A Simulated Single Ventilator / Dual Patient Ventilation Strategy for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jose A. Solis-Lemus; Edward Costar; Denis Doorly; Eric C. Kerrigan; Caroline H. Kennedy; Frances Tait; Steven A Niederer; Peter E. Vincent; Steven E. Williams

Supporting two patients from a single ventilator is currently untested and the work presented here does not change the current clinical recommendations relating to this approach. If this approach is attempted, however, then we have shown that a simple standard setup delivering the same PIP to both patients will result in the desired tidal volumes only if patients have the same predicted body weight and respiratory compliance. If patients are mismatched, then the difference between the achieved and target tidal volumes in our simulations was as great as 35%. The inclusion of a variable resistance and check valves into the inhalation and expiration arms of the splitter, respectively, is shown to allow tidal volume to be set for each patient independently, regardless of their respiratory compliance.