Respiratory bag or Ambu Bag is what you need to know?

Let's try to imagine the worst of all possible scenarios – you have been infected COVID-19 and was in the hospital. Your condition is rapidly deteriorating, and breathing difficulties are becoming more pronounced. The body temperature remains high and at some point you start to suffocate. To save your life, doctors should hook you up to artificial lung ventilation (ALV), which will help you breathe until the lungs recover. But in terms of pandemic hospitals around the world are experiencing an acute shortage of medical ventilators and ecmo. In the end, you devices is not enough. But does this mean that nothing more could be done?

What is an Ambu bag?

Since the development of the concept of world's first camera, it took almost 70 years. In 1953 the doctors Holger Hesse and Henning Ruben has developed a bag-pump, containing the plastic body medical valve systems and flexible facial mask. Using the Ambu bag they wanted to prevent a polio epidemic. Subsequently, the peak in the field of manual resuscitation light steel foldable bags Ambu –special medical apparatuses, which are able to compactly fold and take almost 5 times smaller volume.

Like many other inventions, they were developed for the army, then to find application in more peaceful areas. Modern bags Ambu enclosed in a shock proof case that fits in a field first aid kit and do not require "manual inflation", before using yourself sucking air.

Manual Ambu bag looks like

But both manual and modern bags Ambu in General provide a simple and reliable method of ventilation of the patient room-air or air mixed with oxygen. That's why all the ambulances and operating rooms in hospitals equipped with Ambu bags – it allows you to save the lives of patients in the absence of the ventilator. Let me remind you that read more about what is needed and how to operate ventilators and ecmo .

Another advantage of the Ambu bag is its independence from a power source. A full bag consists of seven parts: mask, primary and backup ventilation bags, medical systems and valve nipples. In comparison with artificial respiration "mouth to mouth", it is more hygienic, simple and effective. However, it should be noted that the device is used exclusively for the temporary ventilation of the lungs. Anyway, if the patient is in critical condition, and the ventilator need to wait, the Ambu bag may save his life.

How does an Ambu bag?

As the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 depresses the respiratory system, the main task of doctors is to deliver oxygen to the blood. Note that when a person is healthy, this vital function is performed by the lungs. In mild cases or in situations when urgent resuscitation, patients help the so-called non-invasive forms of ventilation using Ambu bag. But how?

Enhanced development of the Ambu bag.

Perhaps the most important thing to know about this device is that it allows to ventilate the lungs, provided that they are no foreign body, and ceasing language and other unpleasant complications. As a rule, doctors connect the Ambu bag to the Airways through a variety «adapter»: endotracheal tube, litsevoi mask (possibly with ducting), and tracheotomy tube. All of these devices have a standard diameter, so the bag is hermetically connected.

Directly after the Ambu bag attached to the airway of the patient, the doctor begins to rhythmically compress the walls of the bag(about 12-20 times per minute). In cases with more modern devices this is not required. I note that the design of the Ambu bag constantly evolyutsioniruet that led to the emergence of devices capable of even better to saturate the blood with oxygen. So, the latest models of the respiratory bags feature enhanced design and functionality. But is it possible to predict what these bags for resuscitation of the lungs become in the future?

is it Possible to make an Ambu bag with your hands?

Writes DailyLobob, graduate students of the University of new Mexico Mostafa Pasahan and Maryam Bahmani in mid-April created a simple design of the ventilator. Homemade device is called and designed in such a way that anyone could collect his almost improvised.

the build Process looks like this Korvent

Design the couple shared on the Internet and noted that you don't want to make money. For the Assembly «Korventa» need at least 10 parts, and the Assembly takes approximately five hours. I agree, a lot, but in a situation when a person needs help, and the doctors, ambulance and hospital in the vicinity, the device will help to save the patient's life. The approximate cost of the improved Ambu-bag is at least 60$.

But the unit itself is hand-built. agree, worth it.

Is «Korvent» two main parts: the mechanical ventilator and oxygen supply, and for operation of the device requires water and electricity. I note that in the past, the couple has worked with a patented device that helped them create this design. Thus, a simple machine emergency resuscitation of the lungs you can collect without leaving DLM, and all necessary materials are available in the Internet.

Ambu Bag traditionally used for extra pulmonary rehabilitation