OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION
OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION
It may be advisable or necessary under certain circumstances to administer supplemental oxygen gas (O2) to a person who would benefit from such therapy. Examples include those stricken with severe high-altitude pulmonary edema, acute severe congestive heart failure, decompression sickness (the bends), and so forth. Anyone who may be called on to use oxygen delivery equipment should be properly trained in its use ahead of time.
The equipment required to deliver oxygen includes a medical oxygen cylinder (tank), pressure gauge, pressure-reducing valve, flowmeter, tubing, and nasal cannula (tube) or facemask (with or without a reservoir bag).
Oxygen cylinders in the United States are usually painted green or have distinctive green markings. They come in two practical field sizes: D (20 in, or 50.8 cm, in length; carries 360 liters of oxygen) and E (30 in, or 76.2 cm, in length; carries 625 liters of oxygen). The length of time that oxygen can be delivered is calculated by dividing the tank capacity by the flow rate. For instance, a D cylinder can deliver 10 liters per minute for 36 minutes. To make the oxygen last longer, keep the flow rate to the lowest effective number.
The pressure gauge reading indicates how much oxygen remains in the cylinder. At full capacity, an oxygen tank is pressurized to 2,000 lb per square inch (psi). Thus, when the gauge indicates a pressure of 500 psi, one-fourth of the tank’s capacity for oxygen remains. At a reading of 200 psi, a tank is near empty.
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