Oldest living iron lung survivor dies after power failure

[Bolt_Gundam510]

Submitted by Christian Grantham

Jackson, TN resident Dianne Odell, 61, died when a power failure stoped the iron lung in which she spent her life due to polio. She was the oldest living iron lung survivor. The Jackson Sun did a story on Odell back in 2002.

Odell was afflicted with ''bulbo-spinal'' polio -- three years before a polio vaccine was discovered and largely stopped the spread of the crippling childhood disease. There were no more than 3,500 cases of polio worldwide last year compared with 350,000 in 1988, according to the World Health Organization.

Iron lungs were first used to sustain life in 1928. They were largely replaced by positive-pressure airway ventilators in the late 1950s, and only about 75 to 100 are still in use in today, said Cheryl Needham, product manager for home ventilators at Respironics, a Pittsburgh company that makes and maintain respiratory equipment.In some cases they are not used all the time.

About 200 iron lungs exist that can be recirculated among people who need them, but production of iron lungs ended about a decade ago.

Source: Nashville Is Talking

i found a fast fact about the iron lung click on the link if you want to read it.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ironlung.html

[Jman123]

Aint that a bitch. ;)