As one of the more common medical devices that can supplement oxygen, an oxygen concentrator machine can help users perform oxygen therapy at home. Do you know what the common questions and practical knowledge about oxygen concentrator devices are? This article will answer some common questions about oxygen concentrators.
Who needs to use home oxygen concentrators?
Home oxygen therapy is mainly suitable for patients with various chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, neuromuscular diseases, and people who are prone to hypoxia. Patients who need long-term home oxygen therapy, usually need to use an oxygen concentrator with a flow rate of 5L or more. The specific flow rate of the oxygen concentrator must be purchased under the guidance of a doctor.
For people who are prone to hypoxia, such as the elderly, pregnant women, mental workers, who work and study hard for a long time, athletes, people traveling to high altitudes, and patients requiring oxygen therapy. Oxygen concentrators can also be used to provide oxygen therapy and health care. Generally speaking, a 1L/2L/3L oxygen concentrator for health care can meet the oxygen inhalation needs.
How oxygen concentrator works?
Types of oxygen concentrators for sale
The selection of oxygen generators can be divided into two categories:
Health care type: refers to oxygen generators with an oxygen concentration of more than 90%. The flow rate is 1-2L per minute. The small desktop type is the main type.
Medical oxygen generator: Definition: The flow rate is more than 3L per minute. The oxygen concentration is ≥ 90%. Oxygen is continuously supplied for 24 hours and 365 days. The oxygen concentration is not less than 90%
In addition, the hospital uses industrial oxygen production, and the oxygen concentration reaches 99%. The scale shows 1-2L, but the actual output is much greater than the 1-2L of a home oxygen concentrator.
Are oxygen concentrators dangerous?
A medical molecular sieve oxygen generator is an advanced gas separation technology. It adopts a zeolite molecular sieve, pressure swing adsorption technology, and vacuum pressure swing adsorption technology.
It uses physical methods to directly separate oxygen and nitrogen in the air and filter out harmful substances in the air, thereby obtaining high-concentration oxygen (93%±3%) that meets national medical standards. It is ready for use, fresh and natural, without high pressure, explosion, and other hazards.
However, it should be noted that although oxygen itself is not flammable, it will accelerate the burning of flames in a pure oxygen environment. Therefore, when using an oxygen concentrator, be sure to stay away from open flames and flammable materials to ensure safety.
As for flammable materials, common ones include:
- Alcoholic substances (such as alcohol, disinfectant, etc.)
- Oils (such as vegetable oil, cooking oil, diesel, gasoline, etc.)
- Chemicals (such as benzene, toluene, acetone, detergents, etc.)
- Combustible materials such as paper, cloth, wood, etc.
- Flammable gases (such as liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, etc.)
What is the difference between oxygen concentration and oxygen flow?
Oxygen concentration includes [oxygen output concentration] and [oxygen inhalation concentration]
- Oxygen output concentration refers to the amount of oxygen contained in the oxygen concentrator, that is, the purity of the output oxygen. To ensure treatment and long-term use, it is recommended to select an oxygen concentrator for sale that meets the national oxygen output concentration standard (93%±3%).
- Oxygen inhalation concentration refers to the oxygen concentration that reaches the alveoli. The oxygen concentration (oxygen inhalation concentration) in daily air is about 21%. For people who need oxygen therapy, an oxygen inhalation concentration below 25% is similar to the oxygen content in the air and has low therapeutic value.
Oxygen flow rate refers to the oxygen output flow rate per minute. There are 1L/2L/3L/5L on the oxygen concentrators price on the market. These different numbers represent the oxygen output flow rate of the oxygen concentrator per minute. What we usually call a 5L oxygen concentrator means that it can produce 5L of oxygen per minute.
Oxygen poisoning relates to the duration of oxygen inhalation, oxygen concentration, and personal physique. The safe limit for inhaling 100% oxygen at normal pressure is believed to be 12 to 24 hours. A home oxygen concentrator can't reach 100% oxygen, even if it is new. It will gradually decrease over time. Also, the oxygen flow rate is low. The inhaled oxygen concentration usually does not exceed 40%. This is in the low-flow range for oxygen inhalation. Additionally, short-term and many oxygen inhalation plans are often used. Thus, oxygen poisoning will not occur in home oxygen therapy.
Normally, the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere is 21%. The risk of oxygen toxicity increases when the oxygen concentration exceeds 21%. The degree of the risk of oxygen toxicity varies depending on the oxygen concentration.
- 21% (normal atmospheric oxygen concentration): harmless to healthy individuals.
- 40% - 60%: Short-term use is safe. However long-term use (over 24 hours) may damage the lungs.
- More than 60%: Continuous inhalation may cause lung damage. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing.
- 100% pure oxygen: Long-term inhalation of pure oxygen has a greater risk and may cause oxygen toxicity in the lungs and the central nervous system.
Generally, oxygen toxicity may occur if 100% pure oxygen is inhaled for more than 12 hours.
Symptoms of too much oxygen from concentrator
In a healthy person’s natural state, the oxidation and anti-oxidation activities in the body are in a dynamic balance. However, once excessive oxygen is inhaled, pathological changes will occur.
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Nausea: Nausea is one of the common symptoms of oxygen poisoning. Patients may experience discomfort such as nausea and vomiting, which may be due to gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by oxygen poisoning;
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Drop in blood pressure: It may be due to abnormal vasomotor function caused by oxygen poisoning, which causes blood pressure to drop;
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Chest pain: Oxygen poisoning may cause decreased pulmonary circulation function, causing symptoms of chest tightness and chest pain.
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Dyspnea: Dyspnea is a common symptom of oxygen poisoning. Patients may feel shortness of breath, faster respiratory rate, and even respiratory failure in severe cases.
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Convulsions: Excessive oxygen inhalation may also cause damage to the central nervous system. Patients may experience convulsions, epileptic seizures, etc., which require emergency treatment.
Do I need to buy a ventilator after buying an oxygen concentrator?
The oxygen concentrator mainly provides oxygen to relieve hypoxia and insufficient oxygen saturation in the body; while the ventilator assists breathing by providing a certain amount of pressure support to help ventilation.
The ventilator cannot provide oxygen, and the oxygen concentrator cannot provide pressure. The two are completely irreplaceable. In the actual treatment process, it is necessary to decide whether to use them together under the guidance of a doctor based on the individual's physical condition.
What should I pay attention to when using an oxygen concentrator at home?
Things to note when performing home oxygen therapy:
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Oxygen supply devices should be kept away from open flames
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Do not smoke while breathing oxygen
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Avoid operations that cause static electricity or electric sparks as much as possible
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Clean or replace the oxygen tube regularly to avoid bacterial infection
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The water in the humidification cup should be purified water and replaced frequently
