# Canadian doctor turns one ventilator into nine. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 23, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-doctor-turns-one-ventilator-into-nine/850129 "2020-03-23T22:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-doctor-turns-one-ventilator-into-nine/850129/1 "2020-03-23T22:35:43Z")
> **[Hospital turns its one ventilator into nine with some DIY mechanics](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8136299/Doctors-turns-one-ventilator-nine-genius-DIY-mechanics.html?ito=social-facebook)** > > Dr Alain Gauthier, , an anesthetist at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital in Ontario, Canada, learned how to rig the ventilator by watching YouTube videos created by two Detroit doctors. > [@](#): > > Canadian Press reports that to perform the task, patients have to be paired who have similar lung size and capacity. > > Then, multiple hoses are attached to the one ventilator so it is running at several times its normal power. Is this really workable? The doctor has a PhD in respiratory mechanics so he probably knows what he’s doing. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-doctor-turns-one-ventilator-into-nine/850129/2 "2020-03-23T22:42:48Z")
Apparently it’s an option well worth exploring. There was some discussion about it in our own press last night but those speaking about it didn’t want to offer hope ahead of a determination of efficacy. So… I guess we’ll soon know. Let’s hope so. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-doctor-turns-one-ventilator-into-nine/850129/3 "2020-03-23T23:01:55Z")
The version I first heard about was a 1-to-4 scheme, and that was from a doctor somewhere in Europe. So multiple patients on one ventilator seems at least plausible. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-doctor-turns-one-ventilator-into-nine/850129/4 "2020-03-23T23:06:37Z")
If I’m not mistaken it’s basically an air pump and some hoses, with some control circuitry. You’d have to try to match patients, as the article mentions.