Is the iron lung still in use?

Yes, the iron lung is still in use, although it is now very rare. As of 2020, there were only about 10 people in the world who still used an iron lung, and most of these were in the United States.

The iron lung was invented in the 1920s and was used to treat people with polio. Polio is a viral disease that can cause paralysis, and in some cases, it can paralyze the muscles that control breathing. The iron lung works by creating a negative pressure around the person's body, which helps them to breathe.

The iron lung was used extensively in the 1940s and 1950s, when polio outbreaks were common. However, the polio vaccine was developed in the 1950s, and the incidence of polio declined dramatically. As a result, the need for iron lungs also declined.

Today, the iron lung is still used in a few cases where people have other conditions that cause paralysis of the breathing muscles. These conditions include Guillain-Barré syndrome, muscular dystrophy, and multiple sclerosis.

The iron lung is a remarkable invention that has saved the lives of many people. However, it is now a reminder of a bygone era when polio was a common disease.