What is COPD and Home Portable Oxygen Concentrator

COPD, the full name is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema that people often call fall into the category of this disease. This is a disease in which breathing is restricted due to airway obstruction. Bronchial obstruction leads to increased secretion, which will block the airway, causing coughing and sputum production.

When the airway becomes narrowed due to obstruction , breathing will be restricted, resulting in wheezing and difficulty breathing.

If COPD is not well controlled, it will deteriorate very quickly, and when it develops to an advanced stage, it will lead to systemic hypoxia. At this time, doctors may recommend that the patient inhale oxygen.

However, not all patients with COPD need to take oxygen. Doctors will only recommend that patients take oxygen only when the disease develops to a more serious stage or when the patient does show symptoms of hypoxia.

Which patients need extra oxygen?

It is recommended to take oxygen if the blood oxygen level is lower than 88

In fact, what everyone usually refers to as oxygen inhalation is long-term oxygen therapy. Generally speaking, long-term oxygen therapy must meet certain conditions. When the patient's partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood gas analysis is lower than 55 mm Hg, or the peripheral blood oxygen saturation monitoring is lower than 88, the patient is recommended to receive long-term oxygen therapy.

For patients who do not have true hypoxia, doctors do not recommend that patients take oxygen at home. Because too much oxygen may produce oxygen free radicals and aggravate airway inflammation. In addition, whether it is an oxygen cylinder or an oxygen concentrator, there are some precautions when using it at home, such as fire prevention. At the same time, many patients with COPD have a habit of smoking, which may be potentially dangerous.

The lung function of patients with COPD will gradually decline. Generally speaking, oxygen therapy is a treatment method used when COPD reaches an advanced stage, when the patient's lung function has seriously declined. The role of oxygen therapy is not to improve lung function, but to prevent COPD patients from serious complications such as pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary heart disease due to long-term hypoxia.

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For COPD patients who need long-term oxygen inhalation, how should they choose the oxygen inhalation time?

For patients with COPD, low-flow, low-concentration oxygen inhalation must be emphasized. Generally speaking, the flow rate of patients with COPD is less than 2 liters/min. There is a scale on the flow meter of the oxygen concentrator. Just adjust the flow rate to 1 to 2 liters/min. This is low-flow oxygen inhalation. Low-concentration oxygen inhalation means that the oxygen concentration is kept below 35%.

Oxygen concentration and oxygen flow are related, and can be known through the conversion relationship. Generally, the oxygen concentration at a flow rate of 3.5 liters/minute is 35%. At home, the oxygen concentration generally generated by an oxygen concentrator is above 90%. By adjusting the oxygen flow rate, the oxygen concentration inhaled by the patient can be reduced to less than 35%, and it will not be pure oxygen. Low-flow, low-concentration oxygen inhalation can fully achieve the purpose of treatment.

Many people are worried about whether long-term oxygen inhalation will cause oxygen poisoning. In fact, this is indeed possible if 100% pure oxygen is inhaled for a long time. However, oxygen therapy uses nasal cannula for oxygen inhalation. Even if the oxygen flow rate is adjusted to the maximum, it is unlikely. Oxygen toxicity occurs. Carbon dioxide retention may occur when the oxygen concentration is too high, which means that COPD patients take in too much oxygen and are unable to expel carbon dioxide. This is not oxygen poisoning. Therefore, doctors recommend not to easily increase oxygen flow and oxygen concentration.

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Questions about several oxygen concentrations

Air oxygen concentration, hospital oxygen concentration, household oxygen concentrator oxygen concentration, national standard medical oxygen concentrator concentration standard.

1. Air oxygen concentration: Under normal circumstances, the oxygen concentration in the air is 20.7%. Strictly speaking, if the oxygen concentration in the air is lower than this value, it means hypoxia. It depends on each person's body tolerance.
2. Hospital oxygen concentration: Industrial centralized oxygen supply, with a concentration of 99% and a large flow rate.
3. Oxygen concentration of household oxygen concentrators: The oxygen concentration of new oxygen concentrators is 90%-96%. As the service life increases, the machine life, and the internal parts age, the oxygen concentration will slowly decrease.
4. National standard medical oxygen concentrator concentration standard: oxygen concentration is not less than 82%.

How well do you know Oxygen flow

Oxygen flow is divided into three levels: low, medium and high. Low flow refers to 1-2L/min, medium flow refers to 3-5L/min, and high flow refers to more than 5L/min. As for whether to give high-flow oxygen inhalation or low-flow oxygen inhalation, it depends on the patient's condition.

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and carbon dioxide retention, low-flow oxygen inhalation is recommended, because high-flow oxygen inhalation may inhibit the patient's respiratory center and aggravate carbon dioxide retention. Mid-flow oxygen inhalation is generally suitable for patients with reduced oxygen partial pressure and no carbon dioxide retention, such as patients with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. High-flow oxygen inhalation is generally suitable for patients with oxygen saturation lower than 90% and simple hypoxia. However, high-flow oxygen inhalation is not recommended for nasal congestion because it will cause dry nasal mucosa and nasal pain. High-flow oxygen inhalation is recommended with a mask.