Oxygen Treatment Hoods prove to save lives in Bolivia and around the world

One critical solution to the global ventilator shortage may be reducing the need for ventilators altogether.

Hood/helmet Positive Airway Pressure (HPAP) is a mode of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) that has been used in Italy and elsewhere for decades to treat Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or ARDS, and with much success (Ref 1). Recently, Helmet NIV has been used specifically for Covid-19 patients as a proactive step to reduce required intubations and more sophisticated ventilators (Ref 2). Intubating a patient requires an endotracheal tube and a degree of sedation – both are invasive and the patient outcomes are not favorable. Recent reports suggest that mortality once a Covid-19 patient is on a ventilator is very high, perhaps as high as 80% (Ref 3). According to University of Chicago studies, intubations can be reduced by as much as 40% when helmet based ventilation techniques are utilized to proactively (Ref 4).

As part of their Covid-19 response, Subsalve USA of Quonset Rhode Island, a 40-year manufacturer of high performance  inflatable products for undersea, defense, and other markets rapidly designed and established high volume production of an OXYGEN TREATMENT HOOD in response to the short supply of existing helmet ventilation devices on the market. At present, Subsalve is recognized as having the highest production capacity for these devices globally, and is ready to deliver in a big way.