blog - Oxygen Safety

Posted By Laura Frederick
January 30, 2020 Category: Events, From The Experts, News, OxyGo, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Oxygen Tips, Tech, Technology

DMEs from Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and across the country attended Oxygen EXPO2 in Orlando, FL on Jan 21st of this year.  The expo, subtitled The NEXT Tech in Ambulatory Oxygen, gave DME providers an opportunity to learn about the latest homecare oxygen trends and market opportunities. “We are all about technology and innovation, so being able to host an event like this where we can share our knowledge and help contribute to the industry is a great opportunity,” said OxyGo CEO Victoria Marquard-Schultz. The one-day conference covered topics such as the future of portable oxygen, oxygen safety, finding assets and revenues in a connected DME market, and leveraging social media to increase patient retail and referrals.  The keynote address was on advances in pulmonary medicine and was given by Franck Rahaghi, MD, MH, FCCP, Director of Respiratory Care at Cleveland Clinic Florida Hospital and Clinic. Dr. Rahaghi spoke about advances in pulmonary care and the importance of getting patients to move and exercise as part of their treatment referencing the American Lung Association’s famous slogan, “If you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.” “POCs and their tankless delivery of oxygen are giving patients their freedom back,” he said, “while improving their quality of life and overall sense of happiness.”  He said that ambulation could increase the life expectancy of patients on oxygen by 20%. Looking further into cutting edge patient care, Dr. Rah

Posted By Laura Frederick
December 13, 2019 Category: Events, From The Experts, News, OxyGo, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Technology

OxyGo Announces Oxygen EXPO2 2020 – The Next Tech in Ambulatory Oxygen

Posted By Laura Frederick
August 29, 2019 Category: COPD, Hurricane Safety, News, Oxygen Safety, POC, Preparedness, Resources

Hurricane season in the southeastern United States runs from June 1st through November 30th, but peaks from mid-late August through September.  Sometimes, advanced warnings are issued for events such as hurricanes, tropical storms or flooding, but other times there may be no warning.These intense storms can cause massive damage to roadways, and power outages that can make it very difficult to charge important medical devices such as a portable oxygen concentrator. It helps to PLAN AHEAD for these situations, especially if you or a family member has a lung problem or other health conditions. To help with planning ahead, follow these steps: Do not wait for an emergency to start planning. Have a plan ready and have it handy at all times.  Coordinate this plan with your healthcare providers, homecare company, nursing service, and medical equipment company. Develop a basic family emergency plan.  Be sure all family members are familiar with the plan. Have the basic needs and supplies checklist completed below: □ Water — one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation and 2-week supply for home) □ Food — it is a good idea to include foods that do not need cooking (canned, dried, etc.) (3-day supply for evacuation and 2-week supply for home) □ Battery-operated or hand-crank radio □ First aid kit and manual □ Medications (7-day supply) and medical items Remember to try and keep all your devices charged and ready in the event of a hurricane

Posted By Erin Clark
October 18, 2017 Category: Oxygen Safety, Resources

When you are prescribed oxygen, it’s very important to listen carefully to the delivery technician and to follow the safety guidelines that you are provided. Oxygen is a drug. You need a prescription to get supplemental oxygen whether for stationary use in your home, for portable use to get around when you leave your home, or both. There are certain criteria that must be met to qualify to receive supplemental oxygen. If you have oxygen in your home, you have met the criteria to qualify for oxygen and you probably received both oral and written instructions and materials on oxygen safety. Over the course of my career, many people were worried their homes were going to “blow up” now that oxygen was in the home. I knew they were truly anxious and worried if this really could happen. I told them that having oxygen in the home does not increase the oxygen concentrations in the home. I explained that if oxygen were that dangerous, you would be hearing of oxygen explosions and fires on the news because people are careless and do not always follow the safety procedures they are shown. So, it’s safe to say your house will not blow up because of oxygen in the home. However, there are important safety precautions to take when oxygen is in the home. Oxygen is not combustible. It’s not like gasoline. But oxygen does support combustion and will make a little fire much bigger. To create a fire, you need a heat source (match, candle, stove top, etc.), something that will burn

Posted By oxygo
July 15, 2017 Category: From The Experts, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, POC, Resources, Technology

The portable oxygen cylinder is a modality that permits an active oxygen user to leave the home to go shopping, to run errands, go to the doctors, to church, on vacation, etc. Activities of daily living as well as the quality of life can be greatly improved with the addition of a portable oxygen cylinder system. A portable oxygen cylinder contains medical grade oxygen (99% or better), which is compressed into a cylinder to 2,000 p.s.i. There are special composite cylinders that can hold as much as 3,000 p.s.i. Attached to the top of the cylinder is the regulator which reduces that 2,000 p.s.i. to a much more workable 50 p.s.i. The regulator also indicates the pressure that is remaining in the cylinder as well as controls the flow rate of the oxygen output. The flow rate is set to the prescription as ordered by the physician. The prescribed flowrate is set by turning the control knob. The portable cylinders vary in size. The larger the cylinder, the more oxygen it will hold, and thus last longer. The size and number of cylinders provided are usually based on the patient’s daily activities and the prescription from the doctor. The typical portable cylinder system used to be the E cylinder with a two-wheeled cart. Most portable cylinders today are made of aluminum, but in earlier years the cylinders were made of steel and weighed upwards of 30 pounds. An E cylinder running continuously at 2 liters per minute would last approximately 5 hours. The next size smaller is the D cyl

Posted By oxygo
June 30, 2017 Category: Asthma, From The Experts, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Resources

Respiratory patients using a metered dose inhaler (MDI) can improve the effectiveness and accuracy of medication placement into their airways and lungs by incorporating a metered dose chamber with their MDI. The MDI attaches directly to the MDI chamber, providing a space for the medication to remain suspended in the air a few seconds longer, improving the amount and dispersion of medication into the airways and lungs. There are two different styles of MDI chambers. The standard chamber is usually a cylindrical device where the MDI attaches at one end and a mouthpiece is at the other. The second device is called a valved holding chamber. How to use both the standard and valved holding chambers:  Remove the cap from the MDI and chamber. Shake well. If this is the first time using the MDI, prime the canister by pushing down on the MDI and pointing into the air. A second prime may be necessary. Insert the MDI into the open end of the chamber (opposite of the mouthpiece). Place the mouthpiece of the chamber between your teeth and close your lips tightly. Exhale all of your air out of your lungs. Press down on the canister one time. Breathe in slowly and completely through your mouth. FOR VALVED HOLDINGCHAMBER ONLY — If you hear a horn-like sound, slow your breathing down as you are breathing too quickly. Hold your breath for 10 seconds to allow the medication to be absorbed into the lungs and airways. If you cannot hold your breath for 10 seconds, hold as long as y

Posted By oxygo
June 02, 2017 Category: Health, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Oxygen Tips, Resources

Learn best practices for maintaining your oxygen tubing and nasal cannula to ensure optimal oxygen flow and comfort. Keep equipment clean and

Posted By oxygo
May 27, 2017 Category: COPD, CPAP, Health, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Resources

Your doctor will prescribe oxygen if your lungs are not getting enough oxygen into your blood. Many people don’t realize that oxygen is a drug because we are breathing it everyday in our atmosphere. When you need oxygen concentrations above 21% (the percentage in our atmosphere) you will need a prescription. In its natural state, oxygen is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas. It is considered the most important of all the elements to life. Oxygen does not burn; however, it does support combustion. In other words, combustible materials will burn much more vigorously in an oxygen enriched environment, compared to our normal environment. Not only does oxygen exist in a gaseous form, it can also appear in a liquid and solid form. Liquid oxygen is extremely cold (-297.3⁰ F) and looks pale blue in color. It flows like water and weighs 9.52 pounds per gallon. Solid oxygen is used for rocket propulsion to propel our astronauts into space. If you have been prescribed portable oxygen, we recommend that you make a copy of your script and keep it with you always. This way, if you are traveling or are far from your home and run out of or have a failure of your oxygen system, you will have a prescription with you to present to the oxygen company proving you are an oxygen patient. Millions of people have safely used oxygen. There are a few things to remember when having oxygen in your home: No Smoking. Never smoke while you are on your oxygen or near your oxygen source. As a rule

Posted By oxygo
May 19, 2017 Category: Health, Oxygen Safety, Oxygen Tips, Resources

For patients having trouble removing secretions or foreign matter from their mouth by effective coughing, oral suctioning can be beneficial. Oral suctioning is usually performed using an instrument called a Yankauer suction, which is a rigid plastic or metal suction device with a connection end for the suction tubing at one end and a small bulb with holes at the other end. Patients who benefit the most from oral suctioning include those with CVA’s, drooling, impaired cough reflex and those challenged with an impaired swallowing condition. Some patients can perform the oral suction procedure on themselves. It is important to note that patients with an impaired swallowing condition are susceptible to aspirating fluids, and as a precautionary measure should always have a suction machine with Yankauer suction nearby and at the ready. You want to avoid going over any sores or sutures in the mouth. You also do not want to go so far in the back of the throat that you stimulate the gag reflex. How to perform oral suctioning on a patient: Assess the patient to make sure they are not in any respiratory distress or overly anxious. Be aware if the patient has a strong risk for aspiration. Explain to the patient what procedure you are going to do and what they should expect. Place the patient in a semi-fowlers position (45 degree angle in bed). Wash your hands. Gather supplies, a basin with tap water, and non-sterile gloves. If the patient has an infectious disease, you may want to we

Posted By oxygo
May 12, 2017 Category: COPD, Oxygen, Oxygen Safety, Oxygen Tips, POC, Resources

There are many devices designed to deliver oxygen to patients. When used properly, each oxygen delivery device can be an effective tool to help improve a patient’s oxygen levels in his or her blood. In this article, we will compare two delivery devices: the nasal cannula and oxygen mask. Nasal Cannula The nasal cannula is the most common oxygen delivery device used today. The cannula is comprised of two prongs that fit gently into the nostrils, with smaller tubing that loops over the ears and under the chin with a sliding nut that snugs the cannula in place so that it doesn’t dislodge. The standard adult nasal cannula can run as low as ½ liter per minute to as much as 6 liters per minute. As a rule of thumb, the nasal cannula delivers 24% of oxygen at one liter, with an increase of 4% of oxygen for each additional liter flow. So, at 2 liters, the cannula would deliver 28%, at 3 liters, the cannula would deliver 32%, and so on up to 6 liters. This rule is an estimate at best as respiratory rate and depth of breathing affect the percentage of oxygen being delivered to the patient. The nasal cannula comes in a variety of configurations for different age groups and flow levels. For the purposes of comparison in this article, we will be discussing the standard adult cannula, which is the most commonly used. Oxygen Mask The oxygen mask is made from a soft polymer that fits over both the nose and mouth. There are very small holes on each side of the mask for ventilation purpos