Give oxygen to the Corona Patients at home with Oxygen Concentrator

 

The second wave of Corona is breaking records of new patients and deaths every day. Over the past few days, more than 3 lakh new cases are being reported in the country. 

There is no space left in hospitals. There is an outcry from Jammu to Kanyakumari over lack of oxygen, ventilators and ICU beds. 

During this time you must have heard the mention of oxygen concentrator. Experts are saying that it is very beneficial for coronavirus patients living in home isolation.

Let's understand what an oxygen concentrator is, how it works and how beneficial it is for the patients ...

What is an oxygen concentrator and how does it Works?

There are many types of gases in the air around us. The oxygen concentrator separates the oxygen from that air. This concentrator supplies the pure oxygen by taking the air inside the atmosphere and separating the other gases from it.

What are the advantages of a concentrator?

• If you are a Corona Patient & are in home isolation then this is a good option.
• A concentrator can supply 5 to 10 liters of oxygen in a minute.
• It does not need to be refilled repeatedly like an oxygen cylinder.
• No device other than oxygen concentrator is required.
• A good concentrator can also be used continuously for 24 hours.
• There is also no cost for its transport and maintenance.
• It can also be run from the inverter when there is no electricity.

What are the disadvantages of the concentrator?

• Useless for serious corona patients. They require about 40 to 50 liters of oxygen flow a minute, which is beyond the capacity of the concentrator.
• The oxygen supplied from the concentrator is low in purity. In comparison, the oxygen given in the ICU is up to 98% pure.
• This is an expensive solution compared to an oxygen cylinder. Its price ranges from 40 thousand rupees to one lakh rupees.

What is the difference between an Oxygen Cylinder and a Concentrator?

The oxygen given to patients on ICU or ventilators in the hospital is stored in large tankers of the hospital. The oxygen from these tankers reaches the patient's bed by pipeline. In hospitals where there are no tankers to store oxygen, they are brought from small cylinders to patients.

This oxygen reaches the hospital from a plant, where it is produced on a large scale. Consider the oxygen concentrator as a small and domestic oxygen plant. This concentrator purifies the air around you and makes it worth giving to patients.

Things to keep in mind when buying an oxygen Concentrator

Flow rate: Flow rate means how much oxygen will reach the patient in a matter of time. The higher the flow rate, the more oxygen the patient will receive. The flow rate of a good concentrator should be 1 to 5 liters per minute i.e. 1 to 5 liters of oxygen should reach the patient in 1 minute. However, it is different for each contractor.

Portability: When purchasing a concentrator, also keep in mind how easily it can be moved from one place to another. The concentrator should not be so heavy that there is a problem in moving it from one place to another. Actually, the weight of the concentrator is directly related to its flow rate. The higher the flow rate of the concentrator, the higher its weight. At present there are also concentrators weighing less than 5 kg in the market.

Purity of oxygen:The purity of medical oxygen given to the patients in the hospital is up to 98%, but the oxygen obtained from the concentrator varies from 88% to 98%. The higher the purity of oxygen, the better the concentrator will be, but this will increase the price of the concentrator.

Power consumption: Power consumption also varies according to the capacity of the concentrator. Choose a concentrator that can run even in low power. At present, there are concentrators in the market that can also be run from inverters or car batteries.

(Note: This information is for informational purposes only. Different patients may require a concentrator of different capacities. You must consult a doctor before purchasing a concentrator.)