One Ventilator, Multiple Patients

Abstract

The emergence of the pandemic through the virus SARS-CoV-2 produced a disproportionate supply/demand of mechanical ventilation. To mitigate it, some authors proposed to use one ventilator for several patients at the same time based on the pilot study of Neyman 2006. Although it seems reasonable, based on the current evidence, the use of this technique does not guarantee a constant respiratory minute volume for each patient coupled to the ventilatory system. Thus, the use of such a circuit represents a threat to the individualized medicine approach. Finally, there are ethical issues. Although the ventilator can save the life of one patient, using it with more than one patient increases the risk of critical treatment failure in all of them. In the face of this, we must remember the four fundamental principles of medicine: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. It is therefore advisable to develop scientific knowledge through further studies and the improvement of the health infrastructure in order to provide a practical solution applicable to different institutions, whether public or private, to optimize the use of this resource in crisis situations, without compromising the quality of care provided.