India is at present facing the second wave of Covid-19 and specialists think that the nation is in the middle of the worst phase. With about 4 lakh new situations of coronavirus infections becoming reported day-to-day more than the previous handful of days, many hospitals across the nation are facing a shortage of healthcare oxygen. This has even led to the death of many patients. The demand has elevated subsequently mainly because numerous hospitals are advising patients to use oxygen at home for a handful of days at least even soon after receiving discharged from hospitals. Many occasions, men and women who are beneath home isolation also will need oxygen help. While numerous are opting for classic oxygen cylinders, there are other folks who go for oxygen concentrators in such situations.
The standard distinction involving a concentrator and a cylinder is the way they provide oxygen. While oxygen cylinders have a fixed quantity of oxygen compressed inside them and will need refilling, oxygen concentrators can provide an infinite provide of healthcare-grade oxygen if they continue to have energy backup.
In other words, an oxygen concentrator operates like an air conditioner. It requires air from our surrounding, modifies it, and then delivers it for use.
According to Dr Tushar Tayal – division of internal medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon – there are two varieties of concentrators. One that offers the identical flow of oxygen consistently unless turned off and is usually referred to as ‘continuous flow,’ and the other one is referred to as ‘pulse’ and offers out oxygen by identifying the breathing pattern of the patient.
“Also, oxygen concentrators are portable and ‘easy to carry’ alternatives to massive oxygen cylinders,” Dr Tayal was quoted as saying by .
The medical doctor emphasized that oxygen concentrators are not greatest suited for these suffering from extreme comorbidities and complications. “This is because they can generate only 5-10 liters of oxygen per minute. This may not be enough for patients with severe complications.”
Dr Tayal stated that oxygen help can be initiated either with an oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinder when saturation drops beneath 92 per cent. “But the patient must be immediately shifted to a hospital if there is a fall in saturation despite oxygen support,” he added.