What is an Iron Lung? (Quick Medical Overview)

an iron lung is a negative pressure ventilator  that was invented in the 1920s and was most   commonly used to treat patients who were diagnosed  with polio we created this video to cover the   medical definition and provide a quick overview  of this topic so if you're ready let's get into it   the iron lug is a horizontal cylinder in which  a patient is laid with their head protruding   out of a hole so that it is exposed to ambient  air the rest of the body is sealed within the   tank where negative pressure is cycled causing  the chest to expand which stimulates breathing   it was invented by philip drinker in 1927 which  is why it's often referred to as the drinker tank   another common name for the iron lung that you may  have heard is a tank ventilator the iron lung is   often associated with the polio epidemic because  it was used to treat these patients during the   outbreaks of the 1940s and 50s during this time  rows of iron lung tanks filled hospitals across   the united states a patient with polio often  experienced a paralyzed diaphragm which would   require that they spent up to two weeks inside  of the iron lung for ventilatory support while   recovering from the disease thankfully polio  vaccinations were created which eradicated   the spread of poliomyelitis and as modern  medicine continued to progress the iron lung was   eventually phased out thanks to the development of  positive pressure mechanical ventilator machines   again we wanted to create this quick video  to provide a brief overview of this topic   if you would like for us to dive even deeper  let us know down in the comment section below   real quick guys do me a huge favor and hit the  like button it really helps support the channel   and i greatly greatly appreciate it and while  you're down there go ahead and click the subscribe   button as well because we have a ton of other  videos on our channel that i think you will enjoy   just a quick reminder we are not doctors this  video is for educational and informational   purposes only and if you want to dive deeper  and learn more about this topic you can go to   respiratorytherapyzone.com where we have a  ton of free study guides practice questions   and other helpful resources i'll drop links to  everything you need right below this video down   in the description thank you so much  for watching all the way to the end   have a blessed day and as  always real easy my friend

Channel: Respiratory Therapy Zone

Views: 54,709

Keywords: respiratory therapy zone, respiratory therapy, respiratory therapist, iron lung, iron lungs, polio, the iron lung and polio, iron lung machine, what are iron lungs, the last of the iron lungs, polio survivor iron lung, creepy iron lungs, iron lung history, what its like to be in an iron lung, iron lung facts, iron lung user, iron lung tested, iron lung polio, iron lung survivor, respiratory care, polio iron lung, iron lung overview, iron lung definition

Id: NEHmycPaNf0

Length: 2min 47sec (167 seconds)

Published: Thu May 13 2021