Oxygen Therapy

Oxygen Therapy is a medical procedure whereby patients suffering from a chronic respiratory illness, such as emphysema, are administered oxygen on a regular basis. This is very often done in the patient’s home, and involves connecting a pipe and mask to the top of an oxygen cylinder which is then placed over the patient’s nose and mouth. The oxygen is delivered continuously as a gas through this mask. When the cylinder is empty it is refilled by a specialist gas supplier. However, the oxygen cylinder is now being replaced by an oxygen concentrator: this device does not require refilling and is both longer lasting and portable. For those patients in hospital, oxygen is administered in liquid form via a large insulating tank. These are refilled by specialist liquid oxygen suppliers.

Administering oxygen is a procedure which needs to be done knowledgably and cautiously as there are risks associated with this which can sometimes be fatal. Giving a patient too much oxygen can result in a stroke or a seizure and so this needs to be monitored carefully. Other uses of oxygen therapy include resuscitation in patients who are experiencing severe breathing difficulties due to an accident or illness. And, as an emergency treatment for scuba divers who are suffering from decompression sickness.