Researchers investigate treating two patients with one ventilator

With ventilators in short supply, a group of researchers in Australia conducted a study to investigate whether splitting a single ventilator between two patients might be a viable option. They concluded that ventilator splitting could work but that it is far from ideal.

Modifying the ventilators using only basic hospital equipment, the researchers tested ventilator splitting in a simulated environment. They concluded that the method could work, but they also called for caution.

One of the authors, Dr. Shaun Gregory from Monash University, Australia, explained, “While the discovery is promising, the use of this method in the clinical context has not been validated, and we don’t recommend its wider use without further trials.”

He continues: “Despite our advances in the practical application of ventilator splitting, the practice is unregulated and undertested. But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, some countries, like the U.S., may consider ventilator splitting on compassionate grounds. The United States of America Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has passed emergency use authorization for the splitting of ventilators.”