Resparate Machine, Again
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The Bird Mark 7 ventilator was invented and marketed by Forrest Bird in 1958. In a degree due to Dr. Bird's business prowess, the biggest market for this machine by the mid 1970's was not for anesthesia or for treating respiratory failure, but for treating patients with respiratory risk or compromise. IPPB (intermittent positive pressure breathing) therapy was advocated for post-operative, and about any bed-confined or pulmonary compromised patient. Crowds of these "Bird machines" lined hospital hallways, and the profession of Respiratory Therapy virtually established its existence in the technical delivery of IPPB therapy. However, the likes of the Bird machine became virtually extinct in hospitals by the late 1980's. A better scientific understanding of pulmonary physiology, studies in nosocomial infection, and the demise of fee-for-service hospital billing all played a part. Nevertheless, today, instead of complicated, expensive, time consuming, and risky IPPB
therapy, the same respiratory therapist coaches the patient in simple breathing and coughing exercises, sometimes with the assistance of a 8 dollar disposable toy, to a superior health benefit and outcome than IPPB.
What does this have to do with the RESPeRATE? Some correlation should be obvious. In 1970, we wanted to do something about people getting pneumonia following surgery, or while bed-confined in the hospital. Dr. Bird prooved the Bird Mark 7 and IPPB could do just that. And besides, it looked high-tech and provided revenue for the hospital. But, it turned out NOT to be the better, simpler solution to the problem. Today, we want to lower our blood pressure, and the RESPaRATE might prove to do just that. But, I am convinced that, like IPPB therapy, it is not the simpler, cheaper answer. With IPPB, we found that simple, frequent breathing and coughing exercises provided excellent outcomes in reducing pulmonary complications. With RESPeRATE, I'm sure we will find that simple relaxation (meditation) and breathing exercises will provide similar, if not superior benefit in lowering our blood pressure. That is the study that should be done before we consider any high-tech,
rich reimbursement enticement. Either that, or look at the RESPeRATE for what it should be: a simple, but helpful, 8 dollar toy.
N-, RRT
The Bird Mark 7 ventilator was invented and marketed by Forrest Bird in 1958. In a degree due to Dr. Bird's business prowess, the biggest market for this machine by the mid 1970's was not for anesthesia or for treating respiratory failure, but for treating patients with respiratory risk or compromise. IPPB (intermittent positive pressure breathing) therapy was advocated for post-operative, and about any bed-confined or pulmonary compromised patient. Crowds of these "Bird machines" lined hospital hallways, and the profession of Respiratory Therapy virtually established its existence in the technical delivery of IPPB therapy. However, the likes of the Bird machine became virtually extinct in hospitals by the late 1980's. A better scientific understanding of pulmonary physiology, studies in nosocomial infection, and the demise of fee-for-service hospital billing all played a part. Nevertheless, today, instead of complicated, expensive, time consuming, and risky IPPB
therapy, the same respiratory therapist coaches the patient in simple breathing and coughing exercises, sometimes with the assistance of a 8 dollar disposable toy, to a superior health benefit and outcome than IPPB.
What does this have to do with the RESPeRATE? Some correlation should be obvious. In 1970, we wanted to do something about people getting pneumonia following surgery, or while bed-confined in the hospital. Dr. Bird prooved the Bird Mark 7 and IPPB could do just that. And besides, it looked high-tech and provided revenue for the hospital. But, it turned out NOT to be the better, simpler solution to the problem. Today, we want to lower our blood pressure, and the RESPaRATE might prove to do just that. But, I am convinced that, like IPPB therapy, it is not the simpler, cheaper answer. With IPPB, we found that simple, frequent breathing and coughing exercises provided excellent outcomes in reducing pulmonary complications. With RESPeRATE, I'm sure we will find that simple relaxation (meditation) and breathing exercises will provide similar, if not superior benefit in lowering our blood pressure. That is the study that should be done before we consider any high-tech,
rich reimbursement enticement. Either that, or look at the RESPeRATE for what it should be: a simple, but helpful, 8 dollar toy.
N-, RRT
posted by nawledge at
10:27 PM
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