Emergency Oxygen Administration

Summary of  EMERGENCY OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION from the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR (new…Dec’05)

Part 4: Basic Life Support (BLS) recognition of signs of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), heart attack, stroke, and foreign-body airway obstruction (FBAO); cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); and defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) … for lay rescuers and healthcare providers.

Resuscitation masks with supplemental oxygen greatly increase the concentration of oxygen that a victim receives.

During CPR the purpose of ventilation is to maintain adequate oxygenation …. therefore, both ventilations and compressions are important for victims of prolonged ventricular fibrillation SCA, when oxygen in the blood is utilized.

Ventilations and compressions are also important for victims of asphyxial arrest, such as children and drowning victims who are hypoxemic at the time of cardiac arrest. Mouth-to-Mask Rescue Breathing and Bag-Mask Ventilation – Masks should include an oxygen inlet.

u  .… use supplemental oxygen … at a flow rate of 10 to 12 LPM 

 … to enable delivery of 100% oxygen (initially).  

…and the FDA regulation minimum capability of 6 LPM remains in effect.  

 LIFE® 612™ models deliver both the FDA minimum of 6 LPM and the AHA recommended  100% inspired oxygen at 12 LPM, in just two simple settings that read “NORM” & “HIGH”.  “More is better (HIGH), but less lasts longer (NORM)”  

Only LIFE Corporation offers the 6 & 12 LPM (“NORM & HIGH”) simple 2 flow-rate  choices.  

Part 7.1: Adjuncts for Airway Control and Ventilation - recommendations for the support of ventilation and oxygenation during resuscitation and the periarrest period. The purpose of ventilation during CPR is to maintain adequate oxygenation and elimination of carbon dioxide. To improve sufficient oxygenation, 

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

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

High inspired oxygen tension will tend to maximize arterial oxygen saturation and, in turn, arterial  oxygen content. This will help support oxygen delivery when cardiac output is limited.  

●.… short term oxygen therapy does not produce oxygen toxicity (& no fear of suppressing respiration)  Bag-Mask Ventilation requires adequate training and frequent practice, can produce gastric inflation  with complications, including regurgitation, aspiration, pneumonia …and can decrease respiration. Advanced Airway endotracheal tube interventions are complicated, failure can occur …and there is no evidence that advanced airway measures improve survival rates in pre-hospital cardiac arrest.  

Part 7.5: Post-Resuscitation Support - the provider should support adequate airway and breathing and  …administer supplemental oxygen …  

Part 9: Adult Stroke … several studies showing improved functional outcomes and survival in which higher supplementary oxygen concentrations were used …administer supplemental oxygen to hypoxemic stroke patients and those with unknown oxygen saturation.  

Part 10.5: Near-Fatal Asthma - Primary Therapy – Oxygen  

Provide oxygen to all patients with severe asthma, even those with normal oxygenation.  

Part 10.6: Anaphylaxis – Intervention to Prevent Cardiopulmonary Arrest 

… administer oxygen at high flow rates. 

We are proud that our design evolutions over the past 20 years maintain our superiority in providing products that have met the AHA Guidelines of 1986, 1992, 2000, and 2005.