1 0 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 2 0
I
've been working
near the epicenter
of the COVID-19
pandemic in New York
City, intubating
patients on a special
team formulated
specifically to manage
the airways of COVID-
19-infected patients. I
know all too well the
urgent need for venti-
lators and have heard
of hospitals hooking
up six patients to a
single ventilator. With
the COVID-19 pandem-
ic essentially bringing
elective surgeries to a
temporary halt, thou-
sands of operating
rooms across the US
are vacant. The anesthesia machines housed inside these operating
rooms can quickly be converted into ventilators, offering lifesaving
support as the virus peaks across the country.
The situation here in the tri-state area is grave enough that many hos-
pitals have already performed these conversions in their dormant ORs.
Anesthesia Machines Provide Life-Saving Support
Providers are converting the units to ventilators for COVID-19 patients.
Anesthesia Alert
Michael McLaughlin, DNP, CRNA/APN
• DESPERATE MEASURE Michael McLaughlin, DNP, CRNA/APN, removes a vaporiz-
er from an anesthesia machine that will be used to ventilate patients with the coro-
navirus.
Michael
McLaughlin,
DNP,
CRNA/APN