Oxygen Uses in the Medical Field

Oxygen has many uses in the medical field. Oxygen therapy is something that every hospital, home health facility and nursing home uses to treat its patients. Oxygen is given to patients who are having surgery, pain, trouble breathing, heart problems, low oxygen levels in the blood and of course problems within the lungs themselves.

Ventilation

• Oxygen therapy through a self-reinflating bag

  Ventilation is done in trauma situations through a self-reinflating bag, such as an Ambu bag, that is connected to oxygen. It is squeezed into the lungs manually with a mask over the nose and mouth. This is also used when a patient is on a ventilator and needs to be transported for testing or to another hospital. The bag with the oxygen hooked to it keeps a patient's level of oxygen elevated so the patient does not start to labor to breathe and put excess stress on the heart. Many heart attacks happen because of lack of oxygen to the heart.

Oxygen Therapy

• Flow meter that controls oxygen being sent to the patient.

  Oxygen therapy is used in patients who have a low blood oxygen level. Typically, a person needs to keep his oxygen level at 95 percent or better. If it is lower than the 95 percent, a nasal cannula or face mask will be put on the patient and oxygen will be piped into him. The flow meter at the wall is where the devices are connected and the amount of oxygen the patient is receiving is controlled. There are different masks depending on the patient's level of need of oxygen. These steps are always taken before a person is put on life support.

Ventilator

• If a patient is on a ventilator, also known as life support, then she is getting oxygen put into her lungs by a machine. The machine can be set up to breathe completely for the patient, or the patient can breathe on her own with the help of the ventilator. Oxygen is also used to give breathing treatments so that these patients can get medications deep into their lungs. The quicker a person gets better, the quicker she can be taken off the ventilator, which is very important to the lungs.