CPAP use for Coronavirus mitigation & severe pneumonia

[BeyondBreathless]

While innovative out-of-the-box thinking can be good, the knowledge to build it on is key. Our home-device machines are not ventilators and will not function in this aspect. Damage to the very thin walls of the alveoli and Pulmonary capillaries, which allow the oxygen to pass to the blood, are not “fixable” once compromised by incorrect pressures. To gain knowledge on how ventilators complexities work in relation to this awful and deadly virus and Pulmonary (lung) functions, a good and understandable place to start is YouTube and it’s Medcram video on ventilation. Just as important as not self-medicating with a malaria drug for parasites, good intentions can relay bad and harmful information. Knowledge is key and we all have the ability to help broaden delivery of reputable free key classes to learn from regarding this Coronavirus. BE SAFE!

[slowriter]

But (as some have been telling me via emails & PMs) to "stop discussing these issues and ideas" and to "rely solely upon a medical professionals"  is all well-and-good during normal times, but should not apply at a time when our medical systems become overwhelmed and unable to serve the entire population. 

Which has already been happening in Spain and Italy, and will soon start to happen in places like New York City. 

Anyone catch how many ventilators Cuomo said they were short for the coming wave?

[Duvalls]

Hi,
Newbie here.  I am interested in this subject, but not sure how I know what category of machine I have — with all those acronyms, I’m a little lost.  Is there some way a novice can find out?   Thank you. ?

[SuperSleeper]

Hi,
Newbie here.  I am interested in this subject, but not sure how I know what category of machine I have — with all those acronyms, I’m a little lost.  Is there some way a novice can find out?   Thank you. ?

Assuming you still have a ResMed machine, there's some pictures to help identify some newer machines here:

https://www.apneaboard.com/cpap-machine-...ine-resmed

For those with other makes, here's the link to various pictures/ID pages for various manufacturers:

https://www.apneaboard.com/cpap-machine-...ur-machine

[FJD]

On 4. I would boil the tap water (I have a plug in electric kettle for when I can’t buy distilled water locally, such as now).  There are often/always? chlorine-resistant organisms in your drinking water/taps which are fine for your gut, but not so much for your nasal passages, I think they have a more direct path to your brain.  Just like for a neti pot.  There are not that many cases each year, and fatality varies by location, but I think it’s best avoided...

Are you aware that you breath more tap water aerosol when you take a shower then you ever will from a CPAP?  The risk associated with Neti pots is the forceful injection of a couple of hundred mL of tap water into the nasal passages. To compare that with the almost negligible aerosol generated by a CPAP is not valid. CDC cautions against the use of tap water in neti pots but doesn't caution against its use in CPAP or taking showers.

Hi,
IMHO, The tap water out of the shower do not contain any bacteria, nor virus (due to chlorine and boiler)
To inhalt this vapour is not a problem when there is really no legionel bacterias...

BUT

In the few ml of water of the CPAP bowl, a permanent air flow passes throught leaving many unfiltered bacterias.
Inhalting them after they reproduce happily in the warm water, IS a problem...

FJD

[landi]

Guys, I'm also not a doctor, but

1. if you google CPAP and COVID you will see that CPAP devices were sometimes recommended to help in COVID and SARS stages by doctors.
Refer to:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1074505/
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/...el-cov.pdf
2. several people are involved in inventing 3D printed ventilators to help reduce the shortage of the pro ventilators. https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printed-...230320205/
3. Our CPAP devices are medical approved devices - yes - they were medically tested and approved - they are far more better than 3-d printed ones, maybe not perfect, but in emergency situation they are better than nothing. They will increase the flow of air even to damaged lungs and they have options to adjust the levels and auto-tune.
4. Still - they need to be operated by medical staff that know things on how pressure can be more or less harmful to particular patient or spreading the virus, but still - they will provide a possible way not to suffocate from not having any respirator at all

I would give my CPAP to any person in emergency, especially that I have a spare one at home to treat my apnea.

[OpalRose]

landi, I've fixed the links in your post.

[Melman]

Hi,
IMHO, The tap water out of the shower do not contain any bacteria, nor virus (due to chlorine and boiler)
To inhalt this vapour is not a problem when there is really no legionel bacterias...

BUT

In the few ml of water of the CPAP bowl, a permanent air flow passes throught leaving many unfiltered bacterias.
Inhalting them after they reproduce happily in the warm water, IS a problem...

FJD

If you do some research on legionella you will learn that it is found in tap water and home water heaters. Also, chlorinated water is not entirely bacteria free.

The organisms that enter your CPAP are non-pathogenic bacteria that you breath continuously every day. They don't grow quickly in water overnight and most pathogens won't grow in water at all. Also, the air doesn't pass through the water but over it. Bacteria are not in evaporated water vapor and the small amount of aerosol that is produced will contain very few if any bacteria. Daily cleaning is a sufficient protection against bacterial infection. Coronavirus will not grow at all on surfaces and in water. It requires cells of the right species. It will not grow in bacteria.

Also, bacteria will probably grow faster in distilled water than chlorinated tap water and $1/gal distilled water is not sterile.
These are not just opinion but facts I have learned over 30 years as a microbioligist in both hospitals and industry.

[tesaro]

I thought of using the Cpap as a ventilator, because it makes sense to me that if you increase the pressure above what one needs normally, it will force air into the lungs, which seems logical would increase one's oxygen. I contacted my pulmonary specialist but have yet to receive a reply! I hope someone has a good answer. Thank you! Teresa

---

I thought of using the Cpap as a ventilator, because it makes sense to me that if you increase the pressure above what one needs normally, it will force air into the lungs, which seems logical would increase one's oxygen. I contacted my pulmonary specialist but have yet to receive a reply! I hope someone has a good answer. Thank you! Teresa

[Westerj]

Would it help to blow enriched 30% O2 at the intake filter? Had an idea to centrifugally separate heavier O2 from air and take it from 20 to elevated levels.  Even 5% enrichment couldn't hurt, right?  Sensors to poc this came in yesterday.