We use cookies and other tracking technologies to provide services in line with the preferences you reveal while browsing the Website to show personalize content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audience is coming from in order to improve your browsing experience on our Website. By continuing to browse this Website, you consent to the use of these cookies. If you wish to object such processing, please read the instructions described in our Cookie Policy / Privacy Policy.
Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. Just drop in a mail at toiblogs@timesinternet.in with a brief bio and we will get in touch with you.
The author is the founder of Oxyneuron.
India experienced a severe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021. The country’s healthcare infrastructure had been overwhelmed by the massive increase in cases. Many COVID-19 patients require oxygen therapy immediately to survive. However, due to an unprecedented surge in demand, medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders were in short supply everywhere. Oxygen cylinder scarcity has also increased the demand for oxygen concentrators. But the question is, are oxygen concentrators still among the most sought-after oxygen therapy devices? Let’s first find out what is an oxygen concentrator.
An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that provides additional oxygen to a patient who is having difficulty breathing. A compressor, sieve bed filter, oxygen tank, pressure valve, and nasal cannula are all part of it. It delivers oxygen to a patient through nasal tubes. A concentrator, unlike oxygen cylinders, does not need to be refilled and can provide oxygen 24 hours a day.
A usual oxygen concentrator can produce 5 to 10 liters of pure oxygen per minute (LPM). Oxygen concentrators extract oxygen from the air around you and filter it into purified oxygen for you to breathe. Individuals gain access to it via a mask or cannula. The atmosphere is made up of about 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and other gases. The oxygen concentrator works by absorbing and filtering out nitrogen and other gases from the surrounding air.
Is an oxygen concentrator useful today?
An oxygen concentrator can be useful in situations where you need short-term oxygen therapy, such as during an emergency or if you have asthma. It is a condition in which your airways become inflamed and produce a lot of mucus, making it difficult to breathe. While there are many ways available to treat and control asthma, an oxygen concentrator can deliver high levels of oxygen into the patient’s bloodstream during or after an asthma attack.
Many pneumonia patients are also prescribed oxygen therapy, which has resulted in positive clinical outcomes. It is an infection in which you develop inflammation in one or both of your lungs’ air sacs, which often fills them with fluid.
Respiratory distress syndrome is a breathing disorder that primarily affects newborns, particularly those born six weeks or more before their due date. RDS in newborns leads to the production of insufficient surfactant. It causes their lungs to collapse, forcing them to work harder to breathe. Oxygen therapy, which uses oxygen concentrators, helps to pump oxygen into the babies’ bloodstream and lungs, reducing the risk of further complications.
Supplemental oxygen is used for a variety of reasons. It could be a useful tool in preventing the progression of a respiratory condition like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer. Or you could be completely reliant on your gear to survive. You can use it all the time or just at night, for example, if you have sleep apnea. RDS newborns are also at a higher risk of developing Bronchopulmonary dysplasia. It is a severe lung condition that necessitates long-term breathing assistance. After surgery, you may require oxygen for a short period of time in some cases.
Things to keep in mind
Under medical supervision, only mild to moderately ill patients with oxygen saturation levels ranging from 90% to 94% should use an oxygen concentrator. Patients with oxygen saturation levels as low as 85% can also use oxygen concentrators in an emergency or until they are admitted to the hospital. Patients who require continuous oxygen at home or while sleeping are frequently prescribed home oxygen concentrators.
Consult your doctor if you are unsure about the extent of your oxygen dependency. Ask if you can go without it for any length of time and, if so, how long. It’s worth asking about this again if your doctor notices that your condition has deteriorated.
Oxygen concentrators are superior to cylinders and liquid medical oxygen, which are both difficult to store and transport. They are primarily one-time investments with low operational costs. Concentrators, unlike cylinders, do not need to be refilled and can produce oxygen 24 hours a day using only ambient air and electricity.
Even with external oxygen support, it’s critical to keep track of your oxygen and pulse readings because they can reveal how well your body is coping with the disease and whether or not oxygen support is beneficial.
If you’ve been noticing oxygen fluctuations, the best way to keep track of your vitals is to take readings every 2 hours and see if external oxygenation can improve them. If the readings remain unchanged, it may indicate the need for hospitalization and intensive care.
{{{short}}} {{#more}} {{{long}}} ... Read More {{/more}}
Views expressed above are the author's own.
A journey unfinished: India@75 has much to celebrate but the full range of freedoms available to elites eludes most
India is, at last, on the upswing: We may not grow at more than 5% annually, but that’s still good in a slowing global economy
At 75, India needs to talk: Some of our problems need dialogue, between parties, between communities, between ideologues
Saffron search for Muslim vote: BJP’s outreach to Pasmandas is electorally and ideologically smart, but it won’t be smooth sailing
Spot the obscenity: A university that fires a professor for a private photo in a swimsuit, teaches very twisted lessons
Error of remission: Gujarat government had more than enough grounds to not release Bilkis case convicts
Time to remove Pakistan as an idea from Kashmiri minds
GDP and our judges: Courts are intervening in economic policy matters in a way that’s costing India big
Will we become rich? Per capita income will be in top 10% of all economies
The know-how of using renewable energy for battery storage
Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. Just drop in a mail at toiblogs@timesinternet.in with a brief bio and we will get in touch with you.
Ruminations,TOI News,Tracking Indian Communities
Right & Wrong,TOI Edit Page
Copyright © 2022 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service