First COVID-19 Patient in Germany successfully treated with novel Diaphragm Therapy

Greifswald University Hospital tests new method (Lungpacer® System) for weaning of respiratory patients Constanze Steinke Pressearbeit Universität Greifswald 07/10/2020 08:54 Department B for Internal Medicine of the University Medical Center Greifswald successfully used, within an international multi-center trial, a special diaphragmatic stimulation therapy to treat a COVID-19 patient as the first clinical site in Europe.   “The first patient treated in this trial happened to be a woman who survived COVID-19 but was not able to be weaned from mechanical ventilation,” said Prof. Dr. Ralf Ewert, the head of the Pneumology, Infection Disease and Weaning Centre at the University Medical School of Greifswald. “With the new procedure, we were able to treat this patient, who is over 65 years old and has already spent 38 days on ventilator and enabled her return to independent breathing. In total we have now included four patients into the study and are pleased to contribute to this promising technology with our results,” says the Greifswald pneumologist and mechanical ventilation specialist. The Lungpacer® System by Lungpacer Medical Inc., a Canadian medical device company, is a novel technology that stimulates the phrenic nerves during mechanical ventilation and thus strengthens the weakened diaphragm muscle to assist in..