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SA doctors create emergency solution for ventilator shortage

It's a tool doctors stress should only be used in an emergency life-or-death situation. But, unfortunately, some hospitals are already there.

SAN ANTONIO — As hospitals in San Antonio prepare for a surge in coronavirus cases they hope never arrives, elsewhere they're already in the midst of it.

A critical shortage of ventilators in New York has its governor pleading for more. In Italy, they're modifying scuba masks and turning them into ventilators. 

"We've been in quite a few emergencies, but we've never seen anything quite this severe before," Dr. Brian Lai said about the situation he and his colleague, Dr. Jennifer Erian, now face. 

The two are part of a San Antonio quartet of doctors that have created a 3-D printer template to make ventilator splitters for hospitals in need.

"With this particular device, we can do two to four patients using one ventilator," Erian said. 

It's a tool these doctors stress should only be used in an emergency life-or death-situation, but they say, unfortunately, some hospitals are already there.

"I don't think we can say where they are using it, but currently, in some hospitals where they do have the ventilator shortages, we received numerous emails and communications from hospitals across the world actually printing our template and using the device," Erian said. 

The template is free and available online for anyone who wants to help out in creating a device doctors say San Antonio doesn't need just yet, but very well may with time. 

"No one can really predict what's going to come next," Erian said. 

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