re: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) ***W.H.O. DECLARES A GLOBAL PANDEMIC***

Gov. Cuomo stated today they asked medical professionals to volunteer for a surge health care force.

40,000 have answered the call so far.

spain is going to go down as worse off than Italy when this is over, I agree

Thanks -- always just curious as I know once they're on it can be hard to wean them off. It's like a feeding tube -- once it's in and going, can you ethically stop it?

I keep asking my mom and dad about my 98 yo grandmother who lives in a nursing home if she has a dnr -- if she were to get sick and doesn't have one or advanced directives, what would they do if they thought she "needed" a vent? Their answer to me was they weren't sure. While I know and appreciate that the thought isn't a pleasant one, I think it's important.

Anyway, continued best wishes for you all.

eta: Are those on vents in a drug induced coma/paralyzed? One video that reportedly came out of Italy some time ago showed people on vents but some I swear were moving arms and almost looked like they were waving. That's not normal is it???

quote:

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Have you taken that trip to italy yet, you worthless sack of shite?

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Just bought the tickets

At the point of intubation you are administered sedation and medication to paralyze your muscles. The initial paralysis wears off in a few minutes to hours depending on what you are given; sedation is continued to the point that you are in somewhat of a twilight. They want you to be able to do some of the work. The ventilator is programmed to support the breaths hat you take while also making sure you have adequate ventilation.

For more severe ARDS it becomes necessary to administer full time paralysis. This is the last step before going prone.

In order to wean the ventilator it is necessary to turn off/administer minimal sedation so that you are able to do more work on your own and basically prove that at you are able to adequately breathe to not need the ventilator. So seeing people move their arms, etc while on the ventilator is accurate.

If they are on an oscillator then yes they are paralyzed. The others are just on various sedation. Unless they are weaning and then they go on sedation vacations and they could theoretically wave. But they are typically restrained.

So my cough is getting worse and the tylenol is keeping my fever manageable. My oxygen got as low as 90 last night. My doctor thinks I should go to the hospital but I am pretty stubborn. If my oxygen drops again I will go but I am hoping it doesn't. I hate hospitals.

My wife is doing good considering. Her cough seems to be getting better. She feels like shite but she just looks like she has a bad case of the flu. Thanks for asking guys.

Five days after diagnosis. The doctor presumed I was positive about a week before that.

Data, we had a 42-year-old healthcare worker with no underlying medical conditions found dead in her home a couple of days ago, her 4-year-old child running around the house when they found her. This can hit you quick, apparently. The fact she didn’t feel bad enough to seek help and then she’s dead.....that’s scary. You need to go in, man.