How big was the iron lung?

The machine gets the name “iron lung” because it is made of metal and helps people breathe. The iron lung is a 6-foot-long cylindrical unit that functions as a ventilator, or breathing machine, for people who were paralyzed in the upper body by polio.

Cost: The 1930s cost was $2500-3000

Weight: 650-750 lbs.

Is anyone in an iron lung today?

Yes, as of March 2024, Martha Lillard is the last known person in the United States to still use an iron lung to breathe. She contracted polio in 1953, which paralyzed her respiratory muscles. Since Paul Alexander, the other last known patient, died in early 2024, Lillard is now considered the last iron lung patient in the US

How do people use the bathroom in an iron lung?

People used the bathroom while in an iron lung with the assistance of a nurse or caregiver who would insert and remove a bedpan or urinal through a portal in the machine's side, allowing for toileting while the patient's head remained exposed and their body inside the sealed chamber. For hygiene, caregivers would also wash the patient's body and hair through these portals