Increased production of oxygen concentrators
As the number of people recovering from the new coronavirus at home increases, the number of patients with moderate illness who cannot be hospitalized will also increase proportionately. Basically, patients who need oxygen therapy should be hospitalized in the corona ward preferentially, but if they cannot be hospitalized, it is necessary to introduce oxygen therapy at home.
For this reason, we are currently receiving a series of orders for oxygen concentrators from local governments, and the increase in production by oxygen companies cannot keep up.
In the 4th wave in Osaka Prefecture, there were several cases in which hospitalization adjustment was difficult and oxygen concentrators were required for new corona patients who were forced to recuperate at home.
In the current disaster-class situation, it is necessary to keep in mind the possibility of such things happening in various places.
Oxygen Is "Prescribed"
Oxygen therapy is applied if the doctor determines that oxygen is necessary. It may come as a surprise to some, but oxygen is "prescribed" by a doctor (Photo).
There are many oxygen suppliers. There are a wide variety of companies, from those with the top market share in their region to those with a wide range of branches nationwide. If you send an oxygen prescription from a medical institution to an oxygen supplier and contact them, the staff of the supplier will come to your home to install an oxygen concentrator. Home oxygen therapy due to the novel coronavirus is led by local governments and medical associations, and the staff of oxygen vendors also need to take infection control measures, so patients may not freely choose their provider. yeah.
Originally, if you introduce home oxygen therapy, you will have to pay about 20,000 yen per month at a cost of 30%. It is supposed to be
From the above, if you need oxygen inhalation while recuperating at home but cannot be hospitalized, the flow will be that the visiting doctor will prescribe oxygen and an oxygen concentrator will be delivered to your home. .
Actual Oxygen Therapy
An oxygen concentrator is a device that takes in air and discharges highly concentrated oxygen. Just plug it into your home outlet and you will be able to breathe high-concentration oxygen (figure).
When you go out, you need to take an oxygen cylinder with you. (Oxygen tubes can be extended about 20 meters).
Since you're not supposed to give that high flow rate of oxygen, you'll probably have to inhale oxygen through a nasal tube.
You will have your oxygen saturation measured daily using your pulse oximeter. During oxygen therapy, the flow rate is adjusted to maintain oxygen saturation above 90% (basically, the flow rate is directed by the doctor). It is not necessary to aim for 100% oxygen saturation, and it is important to control it to the extent that breathing is not difficult.
No fire during oxygen therapy!
Do you know "three conditions of combustion"? (1) what makes fire, (2) what burns, and (3) what helps burn. Combustion will not proceed unless all of these are in place.
In home oxygen therapy, (2) is the oxygen tube, face, and clothes, and (3) is oxygen. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid flame such as cigarettes and gas stoves for (1).
Recent home oxygen therapy oxygen concentrators often have a safety mechanism that automatically stops oxygen supply when fire is detected, but (1) fire should still be avoided.
This is because, according to various sources, approximately 80 patients have died in the 16 years since October 2005 in fires that occurred in the homes of patients undergoing home oxygen therapy. The absolute number of deaths is not that high, but there will be a reasonable number of mild burn cases. I myself have two cases of burns caused by fire during oxygen therapy.
The important points in home oxygen therapy are as follows.
・Do not smoke while inhaling oxygen, and do not let others smoke
・Oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders should be kept away from fire within 2m
・Keep a fire extinguisher nearby
・Be sure to know the phone number of the home oxygen provider
If possible, I would like to avoid the situation of introducing an oxygen concentrator to a home sanatorium of the new corona. Therefore, as a doctor, I can only hope that the events described in this article will not occur.