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Doctor Decoded: What Is a Ventilator?
Find out what a mechanical ventilator is and how it’s different from a simple oxygen mask.
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD
Updated on September 30, 2023Mechanical ventilators have played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Early in the pandemic, a major concern was making sure that hospitals had enough ventilators to assist the sudden influx in patients. As the pandemic has progressed, many people mistakenly believe that these machines are the same as a simple oxygen mask — but this is far from true.
References
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022). Ventilator/ventilator support.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021). Mechanical ventilator - infants.
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