New Westminster hospital to study ventilator use among COVID-19 patients

B.C. testing if ventilators help or harm A B.C. hospital is launching a study on the use of ventilators during the pandemic and whether in some cases they might do more harm than go

New Westminster, B.C. — They’re a key weapon in the fight to keep seriously ill COVID-19 patients alive. Now a B.C. hospital is launching a study looking at the use of ventilators during the pandemic and whether in some cases they may do more harm than good.

Royal Columbian Hospital’s medical director Dr. Steve Reynolds said there’s information that the lungs of patients with COVID-19 don’t always become stiff, the way other infected lungs can, which normally requires a high amount of pressure on a ventilator.

"We expect the lungs when they’re inflamed and injured, to act a certain way, and there’s indications that they actually act differently and that our regular way that we manage these patients may not be optimal," Dr. Reynolds told CTV News Vancouver. "It would be great if we could help prevent them getting on mechanical ventilation, because that really would be a fantastic prevention of harm."

Dr. Reynolds said that harm can come in the form of injury from unnecessary pressure on the lungs, and it can also have significant effects on how the heart functions. He added there are other non-invasive ventilation respiratory supports and techniques available that can help increase the flow of oxygen without a breathing tube.

The first stage of the study will look at 10 patients on ventilators in the intensive care unit at Royal Columbian, which is one of three primary COVID-19 sites in the Fraser Health Region. The study team will track the patients’ heart and lung function. Dr. Reynolds is hoping to share some initial information quickly, and then follow patients over a longer term for the next phase of the research.

"It is unprecedented how quickly research is happening around the world," Dr. Reynolds said, and added as much as he would like to, he isn’t expecting to come up with a "magic bullet" for treatment. "What I’m excited about being able to do is contribute to the global discussion around it, and to be able to optimize the way we use the tools we have."

Dr. Reynolds said how long the first stage will take depends on how many patients are coming in. The hospital foundation has contributed $150,000 towards the research project.