A
plastic lung working on the same principles as an
iron lung has been developed at the Medical School in Hannover. Functional and practical tests were performed in a representative group of patients.
Respirators support following the principles of an
iron lung may be provided as a supplement or an alternative to existing artificial
respirator therapy. The modern artificial
respirators are superior to the
plastic lung, which however, has advantages for particular indications:
Respiratory therapy performed in a
plastic lung is well tolerated by the patients. It requires specific skills which can easily be learned by the medical staff. Routine use certainly cannot be instituted before further technical improvement has been achieved; in particular the noise level should be reduced. The
plastic lung is suitable for short-term ventilation (2-10 h); in view of the restricted nursing procedures possible, prolonged
artificial respiration cannot be recommended. In conclusion, immediate postoperative ventilation is the area of application for the
plastic lung. Several advantages are known: the endotracheal tube can be removed, there is no indication for
sedative drugs, cardiac function and organ blood flow are positively influenced, mucolysis and lung expansion are adequate. A patient whose spontaneous respiratory activity is borderline benefits from short-term
therapy, which can be repeated as necessary. Protracted artificial ventilation can be avoided. The gradual process of weaning from the
ventilator following prolonged
artificial respiration is facilitated by the use of a
plastic lung.
Plastic lung
therapy is superior to other common methods of treating persistent
atelectasis, because its
mucolytic effects lead to expansion of the atelectatic lobe or segment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)