Oxygen economy, CPAP and ventilators | COVID 19

Our guest is an intensivist and specialist in dangerous transmissible diseases as well as being one of the scientists who took part in the Xtreme Everest expedition which investigated the effects of human tolerance of hypoxia.

What about continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)? Information suggests this may be more useful as we head into the pandemic stage "based on the experience the Italians are describing to us".

This piece looks at how the UK is preparing to tackle the global pandemic before asking some important questions about oxygen supplies. There's a tendency for people to use more rather than less, should we look to reverse this? "We give people a range to put their oxygen saturation between and people naturally want to go for the higher end of that target," in this time of crisis and potential shortages is it important to change that habit?

"The whole National Health Service has changed its thinking..." the piece wraps with some thoughts about how enticing it is to see the UK's Government and health service move to stop medics being bound by red tape and overly strict guidelines.

Presented by Monty Mythen with his guest Dan Martin, OBE, Anaesthetist and Intensivist at the Royal Free Hospital and Reader at University College London (UCL).

Link to the story about the Critical Care Nurse who attracted the nation's sympathy in the press recently: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/nurse-urges-public-stop-panic-buying-dawn-bilbrough-a4392596.html

For more of our COVID 19 coverage go here: https://www.topmedtalk.com/covid-19/

Thank you to our sponsor Edwards Lifesciences.

Edwards clinical education (ECE): https://www.edwards.com/clinicaleducation