from Hacker News

The last few polio survivors: Last of the iron lungs (2017) [video]

by miobrien on 9/4/23, 2:50 PM with 19 comments

• by eurfqouj on 9/6/23, 4:06 AM

  The engineer who maintains his iron lung, Brady, mentored my FIRST robotics team when I was a kid. Standup guy. (I think it's the same guy. That looks like the shop we worked in.)

• by dang on 9/6/23, 3:04 AM

  Recent and related:

  The dream of polio eradication might need a rethink - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35519473 - April 2023 (50 comments)

• by HocusLocus on 9/6/23, 7:07 PM

  Learn the difference between the

  Iron lung: 'negative pressure' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_lung Ventilator: 'positive pressure' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventilator

  Humans breathe using 'negative pressure', expanding muscles within the rib cage (principally on the back) and draw in air. Until computers and quality sensors could be given control over the breathing process, positive pressure breathing was too dangerous to even consider. While Iron Lungs were a nightmare of complexity and patient care was difficult with all or part of the body in a pressure chamber with seals around the neck... Iron Lungs were a safer alternative, especially if there is fluid in the lungs that needs to be coughed out.

  I am not 100% convinced that the switch to using positive pressure exclusively was a good move, with vent damage being prevalent especially on comatose patients... and patients who would not even be in a coma but for the fact they were put on a vent.

• by xeromal on 9/6/23, 3:00 AM

  Kudos to this strong man. Got a law degree, practices, and operates a computer with just his mouth.

• by cercworks on 9/6/23, 2:38 AM

  The horrors of each infectious disease we have developed a therapy, vaccine, or cure for is so quickly forgotten and, then taken for granted. Hopefully, videos like this will remind people that the idea of 'the good old days' is fueled by ignorance and hubris.

• by silenthoughts on 9/6/23, 3:42 AM

  Men like this are rare. I can't ever imagine myself in a situation like that, but his will to live is stronger than his disease. What strength.