MEDICAL OXYGEN
MEDICAL OXYGEN
India has been facing a medicial oxygen shortage amidst a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. Difficulty breathing is one of the most common severe Covid-19 symptoms so the supply of oxygen is extremely important for severe COVID-19 patients.
- The air we breathe is a mix of several gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
- The term ‘medical oxygen’ means high-purity oxygen, which is used for medical treatments and developed for use in the human body.
- It generally comprises of minimum 90% oxygen (O2) with 5% nitrogen and 5% argon.
How it is used to:
- restore tissue oxygen tension by improving oxygen availability in a wide range of conditions such as COPD, cyanosis, shock, severe cardiac/respiratory arrest.
- provide a basis for virtually all modern anesthetic techniques
- provide life support for artificially ventilated patients
- aid resuscitation
Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO)
- LMO is high purity oxygen used for medical treatment.
- It has been developed for use in the human body.
- Due to its low melting and boiling points, oxygen is in a gaseous state at room temperature.
- Liquification enables storage in larger volumes and easier transportation.
- The most common production method is the separation of oxygen in Air Separation Units (ASUs).
Oxygen Cylinders
- Compressed oxygen and medical air cylinders are dedicated refillable containers for holding oxygen/meidical gases in a high-pressure, nonliquid state.
- They are fitted with a valve and a pressure regulator.
- The cylinders can be made of steel, aluminum/alloy, carbon fiber or other composite material and are available in various standard sizes.
- They contain a high purity of oxygen gas and no other types of gases are allowed in the cylinder to prevent contamination
ALSO READ : https://www.brainyias.com/high-resolution-computed-tomography-hrct/
