Emergency Oxygen

Life Emergency Oxygen

When an accident or injury occurs, emergency oxygen is recommended virtually all of the time. In 95% of medical emergencies, the victim is still breathing and is usually conscience; therefore, CPR is not indicated.

Fire Department statistics show that CPR is administered in only 5% of emergency calls, but emergency oxygen is administered in over 90% of the calls. Emergency Oxygen can be administered by anyone who has had a basic oxygen administration course.  

Emergency oxygen could save someone's life in a serious or life-threatening medical emergency. These situations often causes the body to be oxygen deficient. By providing supplemental emergency oxygen, you are increasing the amount of oxygen that the body desperately needs. If left untreated, oxygen deprivation can affect the heart, lungs and brain. Oxygen deprivation can lead to respiratory arrest (breathing stops), cardiac arrest (heart stops) and eventually irreversible brain damage in just a few minutes. 

Supplemental Emergency oxygen is a critical step in treating all medical emergencies. Emergency oxygen administered to a breathing victim may prevent deterioration of the victim's condition that could also lead to shock. 

When we inhale, we breath approximately 21% oxygen from the atmosphere, normally we use about 5% of that oxygen in respiration. When we exhale, 16% (the unused portion of oxygen) leaves our lungs through our airway.

This unused portion of oxygen can be used for rescue breathing. Rescue breathing can be further enhanced with emergency oxygen, increasing the O2 delivered to the victim from 16% to approximately 50% at "Low" (6LPM) and by increasing the flow rate to "High" (12LPM) approximately 100% inspired oxygen may be achieved . 

From the  American Heart Association 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care 

Part6: Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
 

u .… use supplemental oxygen … at a flow rate of 10 to 12 LPM ...to enable delivery of 100% oxygen (initially).  

u .… give 100% inspired oxygen during Basic Life Support (BLS)  

… and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) … as soon as it becomes available. 

Oxygenation Devices 

During cardiopulmonary emergencies use supplemental oxygen as soon as it is available. Rescue breathing (ventilation using exhaled air) will ONLY deliver approximately 16% to 17% inspired oxygen concentration to the patient. 

Tissue hypoxia leads to anaerobic metabolism and metabolic acidosis. Acid-base imbalance frequently blunts the effects of chemical and electrical therapy. For these reasons 100% inspired oxygen  (FiO2 = 1.0) is recommended during BLS and ACLS when available.

Short-term therapy with 100% oxygen is beneficial and not toxic. 

Emergency Oxygen Masks 

Masks should be fitted with an oxygen (insufflation) inlet.  

For mouth-to-mouth mask ventilation, we recommend masks equipped with a 1-way valve that diverts the victim's exhaled gas. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation has been shown to be superior to that with bag-mask devices and delivering adequate tidal volumes on manikins. 

An adequate seal is best achieved with a mouth-to-mouth mask device when the rescuer is positioned at the top of the patient's head. The rescuer ventilates the victim by sealing his or her lips around the coupling adapter of the mask. Use both hands to hold the mask securely in position and maintain airway patency with the head tilt.