Oxygen Therapy

The importance of Oxygen

Oxygen is essential for life in that it combines chemically with Glucose to provide energy for the metabolic processes of the body, upon which we all depend to survive.

Contra-indications

Oxygen therapy should never be withheld from any patient suffering from hypoxia (see below) except for instances of Paraquat poisoning where the oxygen increases the toxicity of the poison.

Hypoxia

Every cell of the body must have a continuous supply of oxygen, but in cases of trauma or illness some organs of the body or the body as a whole, may receive an inadequate amount. This lack of oxygen is termed hypoxia.

Oxygen therapy

By increasing the oxygen levels in the lungs via oxygen therapy when can reverse the effects of hypoxia on the brain heart and other vital organs.

Oxygen

Oxygen is an odourless, colourless gas that makes up one fifth of the earths atmosphere

We breathe in 21% oxygen

We breathe out 16% oxygen

So the body needs only 5% oxygen to survive

Conditions that benefit from oxygen therapy include:

Cardiac/respiratory arrest           Spinal and pelvic injuries            Difficulty in breathing Drowning/unconsciousness         Cardiac conditions/shock           Toxic inhalations
Fitting/convulsions/fainting        COAD (Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease)
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)                             Chest and head injuries
Emphysema                                    Burns                                           Chronic Bronchitis