What is iron lung polio?

Iron lung, also known as a negative pressure ventilator, was a device used to help people with breathing difficulties, particularly those suffering from polio. Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis and even death in severe cases.

During the polio outbreaks of the 20th century, many people, especially children, were affected by the disease and left unable to breathe on their own due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles. The iron lung was developed as a way to assist these individuals in breathing by creating negative pressure around the chest, causing the lungs to expand and contract.

The iron lung was a large, cylindrical device that completely enclosed the patient's body, with only the head sticking out. The patient would lie on a bed inside the iron lung, and a motorized pump would create a vacuum, causing the chest to rise and fall and simulate the natural process of breathing.

Although the iron lung was a life-saving device for many polio patients, it was also cumbersome and limited their mobility. With the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s, the number of polio cases declined dramatically, leading to a decreased need for iron lungs. Today, the iron lung is largely a relic of medical history, replaced by more advanced forms of respiratory support.