Oxygen therapy

What is oxygen therapy and who is it for?

Oxygen therapy is a treatment where supplemental oxygen is administered to patients through nasal prongs, a face mask or tube. It is prescribed to help improve oxygen supply to the body so that normal arterial blood oxygen levels are maintained.

In healthy individuals, oxygen is adequately absorbed by their lungs from regular air, but certain diseases and conditions can prevent some people from absorbing enough. Some of these conditions include:

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
pneumonia
asthma
late-stage heart failure
cystic fibrosis
other respiratory lung diseases

A health care professional will determine whether a patient requires supplemental oxygen by measuring oxygen levels in the blood through oximetry, a non-invasive way using transmitted light, or an arterial blood test.

What are the goals of oxygen therapy?

The primary goal of supplemental oxygen is to maintain peripheral capillary oxygen saturation or SpO₂ levels, which normally vary between 95 – 100%, so that patients’ bodies can function properly.

Oxygen therapy also helps in these ways:

relieves hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels)
maintains adequate oxygenation of vital tissues and organs
reduce the work of breathing

How is oxygen delivered?

If a patient’s oxygen levels are assessed to be low, then supplemental oxygen will be prescribed and delivered through three types of devices:

portable oxygen concentrators
compressed or liquid oxygen cylinders
stationary oxygen concentrators

All these oxygen devices assist patients to breathe by providing oxygen at greater concentrations than atmospheric air which is typically 21%. The clinician will provide advice on how much oxygen is needed and on the appropriate flow rate at which it is delivered.

Most often, oxygen is supplied through a nasal cannula, which is made up of two plastic tubes that fit into the nostrils. In some cases, a full-face face mask or tracheal tubes can also be used if necessary.

After starting oxygen therapy, patients should attend regular check-ups to ensure that they are receiving oxygen correctly.

Find out more about our portable oxygen concentrator, LifeChoice Activox 4L.