India is running low on oxygen during COVID, due to unprecedented demand for assisted breathing in intensive care facilities. Courier companies are rushing in bottled supplies as fast as they can lay their hands on them. News channels suggest care workers are turning to portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) in India to close the gap. We are aware Americans use domestic versions in home care situations. We wondered how well these portable oxygen concentrators would work in hospitals.
There Are Several Uses for Medical POCs Already
POC concentrators increase the proportion of oxygen in ambient air people breathe in, whenever they need a boost. Private-use ones are small enough to carry around, and may help avoid the need to visit congested clinics and hospitals.
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has approved numerous brands for use on airplanes, confirming how safe and easy the equipment is to use. A simple way to explain how portable oxygen concentrators work, is to use a practical example.
An internal compressor forces air though a molecular sieve, being a system of chemical filters. These attract nitrogen in the air, and remove it thereby increasing the oxygen concentration. A person requiring oxygen therapy breathes this in from a storage tank once it reaches the desired concentration. This boosts the oxygen content in their blood stream.
How Portable Oxygen Concentrators Could Work in Hospitals
Portable POCs enable patients to benefit from oxygen therapy round the clock. However, the prime purpose of domestic ones is to provide additional oxygen during normal activities. As opposed to supporting congested lungs, as could be the case with severe COVID lung infections.
Therefore, these portable, home-grade concentrators do not appear to be a better solution than bottled oxygen for severally congested lungs. They could however be useful allies for mainstream treatments. Especially in India, where industrial-grade ones may be the only desperately-needed option.
Disclaimer: We provide this advice for general information only. Oxygen support should only be given under guidance from a medical professional.
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Preview Image: Molecular Sieve Oxygen Concentrator
