Life cannot be lived without food, but merely eating it is not sufficient; the food must also be converted to energy. This is where respiration comes in, because it is during this process that the food is ‘burned’ in the presence of oxygen to produce adenosine triphosphate or (ATP), which is the basic unit of animal energy. Now, several factors can hamper respiration, which are broadly known as respiratory and pulmonary diseases. Due to environmental as well as genetic factors, the prevalence of such diseases, primarily lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma, is increasing.
Thus, with the increasing number of people suffering from lung issues, the respiratory care device market is witnessing robust growth across the globe. Such devices help doctors ascertain what is wrong with people displaying compromised lung function and monitor their condition over long periods of time. The latter is important, so that if anything goes very wrong, doctors can intervene and save the life of their patient by taking the appropriate action.
Several diagnostic and therapeutic instruments as well as accessories and consumables come under the ambit of respiratory care devices. Among these, therapeutic devices have been the most widely procured by healthcare settings as well as individual patients practicing the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. These devices further include positive air pressure devices, ventilators, humidifiers, nebulizers, and masks. Of these, ventilators are extremely important and common at large hospitals, as they deliver what is called life support, to patients incapable of breathing on their own.
Ventilators are used on critically ill patients, either to prolong their life till someone from their family decides to pull the plug or to buy time for a diagnosis. These machines essentially take over the functioning of the lungs, taking in the air, oxygenating it, supplying it to all parts of the body, and then expelling carbon dioxide. Currently, such devices are witnessing a rising demand from permanent as well as temporary healthcare facilities, with the COVID-19 pandemic claiming an increasing number of victims every day.
Among the various places where respiratory care devices are used are homecare settings and hospitals, of which hospitals are presently on a procurement spree, considering that the number of people with the coronavirus infection is rising. As per an article by the Wall Street Journal, ventilator manufacturing is rapidly picking up in Latin America (LATAM), in the wake of the COVID-19 menace. Similarly, the Financial Express reports that though the Indian Railways has developed a low-cost ventilator, mass production is facing issues. This means that while the demand for such machines is high in India, the supply is low.
Around the world, the largest respiratory care device market is North America, as a result of its advanced healthcare infrastructure and increasing geriatric population. The elderly are more prone to diminished respiratory function, as age makes people weak, which is why they account for a higher hospitalization rate and requirement for respiratory care devices. Further, the prevalence of respiratory diseases is also rising in the continent; the U.S. currently accounts for the highest COVID case and death count.
Hence, with the growing prevalence of lung diseases, the demand for respiratory therapeutic and diagnostic devices will continue to surge.
