HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANICAL VENTILATION

The history of mechanical ventilation is the history of artificial respiration and thus is part of the history of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However the historical study of both can be separated and studied individually. Based on the different events the history of mechanical ventilation can be divided into ancient history and recent history of the specialty with the polio epidemic in Denmark in the 1950s being considered along with its management and consequences the starting point of modern mechanical ventilation. This in turn marks a new era in medicine with the creation of Intensive Care Units in hospitals as well as the exponential development of positive pressure ventilators.