UnityPoint using nasal therapy to keep COVID-19 patients off ventilators

DES MOINES, Iowa (WOI) - Many Iowans are still on ventilators as they fight COVID-19, but a new therapy could change that.

Unity point is using nasal therapy to deliver oxygen through water vapor.

The hospital says the therapy allows them to preserve the number of available ventilators as much as possible. It also keeps patients off ventilators, because ventilators can be harmful to your lungs.

“This therapy allows for a gentle delivery of oxygen flow to patients and when they have COVID-19, they typically need a lot of extra oxygen, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be at the potentially harmful levels that a ventilator can provide,” Dr. Matthew Trump, with UnityPoint Health, said.

UnityPoint uses this method any time someone needs more than four liters of oxygen. They say it’s actually working better for most patients and helps reduce the anxiety patients get from not being able to breathe.

See the full story on WOI’s website.

Editor’s note: a previous version of this story said “hundreds of Iowans are still on ventilators.” As of 9:25 a.m. June 9, the state’s website shows 51 patients are on ventilators. The error has been corrected.