Linde Medical Oxygen Cylinder

Oxygen Safety

Oxygen is a safe gas, but it will make something else burn hotter, brighter, and more easily. Always follow these safety tips around oxygen:

1. Never smoke, and don’t let others light up near you. Keep away from open flames, such as matches, cigarette lighters, and burning tobacco.
2. Stay 5 feet away from heat sources. That includes gas stoves, candles, lighted fireplaces, and electric or gas heaters.
3. Don’t use flammable products like cleaning fluid, paint thinner, and aerosol sprays.
4. Keep oxygen containers upright. Attach them to a fixed object so they don’t topple.
5. Skip products with oil, grease, or petroleum. That also goes for petroleum-based creams and ointments like Vaseline on your face or upper chest.
6. Have a fire extinguisher close by. Let your fire department know that you have oxygen in your home.
7. Tell your electric company if you use an oxygen concentrator so you get priority service in case of a power failure.

How to use an Oxygen Cylinder at home

1. Check the oxygen level of the patient using an oximeter. If the oximeter shows a reading of 93%  to 94%, then there is no need for biomedical oxygen. If the saturation level is around 89% or 90%, then make your patient lie on the belly as it is the prone position to increase the spO2 level. But if the spO2 level is less than 90%, then the patient should be given oxygen immediately.
2. Put the oxygen mask on the mouth of the patient and tighten it so that there is no leakage of oxygen. If nasal prong is present, then use that as it is more effective in supplying the oxygen.
3. See the reading on the oxygen cylinder and rotate the valve until the mark comes up to 5l/min. It means that 5-litre oxygen is being supplied to the patient per minute.
4. Check the oxygen saturation level of the patient again using the oximeter. If the patient is able to maintain the normal spO2 of 93% -94%, then rotate the valve and lower the delivery of oxygen to a mark of 3l/min. Now the patient is being provided 3 litres of oxygen per minute. Observe for half an hour, check if the patient is able to maintain the normal spO2 level of 93% - 94%. If the patient is able to maintain the normal oxygen saturation level, then the oxygen delivery can be stopped.