Medical-grade oxygen is an important part of proper medical treatment, recovery, and therapy. Medical-grade oxygen and oxygen are often referred to interchangeably, but there are several differences that affect how, where, and why they’re used. Medical-grade oxygen is medically pure 100% concentrated oxygen.
Medically pure oxygen indicates that during packing, handling, and use, there is no risk of contamination from outside materials. This makes medical-grade oxygen especially suitable for medical settings, dental practices, veterinary offices, and even home therapy.
No matter where, why, or how you use medical-grade oxygen, it should always be prescribed and adjusted by a medical professional. But, there are ways to make using it easier, safer, and more efficient.
What is Medical-Grade Oxygen?
Because of how specialized medical-grade oxygen is, it has to meet several regulations from organizations like the FDA, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
To make sure that you are getting the best and safest medical-grade oxygen on the market, you should make certain that your supplier is registered with the FDA and complies with CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) parts 210 and 211. CGMP parts 210 and 211 are ordinances to make sure your pharmaceuticals are packaged, shipped, and distributed along certain guidelines.
How Is Medical-Grade Oxygen Used?
Medical-grade oxygen is used in medical centers, dental practices, veterinary offices, and more. Hospitals are using medical-grade oxygen as an effective treatment for COVID-19.
Medical-grade oxygen is an essential part in:
- Treatments of pneumonia and sepsis
- Anesthesia and surgery
- Childbirth
- Emergency resuscitations
- Life support
- Oxygen therapy
In addition to being used in hospitals and other medical environments, medical-grade oxygen can be used in the home to treat conditions such as:
- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Cystic fibrosis
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Sleep apnea
Your doctor will prescribe how much oxygen you need, when you need it, and how you get it. And depending on your needs, there are several ways for patients to receive oxygen, including oxygen concentrators and oxygen tanks.
Medical-grade oxygen tanks and concentrators use various accessories to deliver the oxygen, including nasal cannulas, oxygen masks, reservoir tubing, humidifier bottles, and carrying cases.
How To Best Use Medical-grade Oxygen
Oxygen is a safe and obviously necessary gas, but observing best practices when using it can help improve your interaction. Here are some important tips to remember when using medical-grade oxygen:
- Don’t ever use an oxygen machine without a doctor’s prescription. Administering too much or too little oxygen can be life-threatening or ineffective.
- Never smoke and don’t let others smoke around you. Due to the higher concentration of oxygen surrounding the user, open flames near medical-grade oxygen can be a fire hazard.
- Stay at least 5 feet away from heat sources such as gas stoves, candles, lit fireplaces, and electric or gas heaters.
- Avoid using flammable products like cleaning fluid, paint thinner, and aerosol sprays.
- Skip products with oil, grease, or petroleum, including petroleum-based creams and ointments like Vaseline that you’d apply on your face or upper chest.
- Keep oxygen containers upright. Attach them to a fixed object so they don’t topple.
- Keep a fire extinguisher close by and let your fire department know that you keep an oxygen tank in your house.
- Tell your electric company if you use an oxygen concentrator so you get priority service in case of a power failure.
With special storage and handling requirements, choosing a reputable supplier for your medical-grade oxygen is key. At CalOx, we’re dedicated to making medical oxygen delivery, storage, and service simple, straightforward, and dependable for our customers. For more than eighty years, CalOx has been delivering high-quality medical-grade gasses to the communities and businesses of Southern California. Contact us today for your free quote!