Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen as a medical intervention, which can be for a variety of purposes in both chronic and

acute patient care. Oxygen is essential for cell metabolism, and in turn, tissue oxygenation is essential for all normal physiological functions. Room air only contains 21% oxygen, and increasing the fraction of oxygen in the breathing gas increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. It is often only required to raise the fraction of oxygen delivered to 3035% and this is done by use of a nasal cannula. When 100% oxygen is needed, it may be delivered via a tight-fitting face mask, or by supplying 100% oxygen to an incubator in the case of infants. Oxygen can be administered in other ways, including specific treatments at raised air pressure, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. High blood and tissue levels of oxygen can be helpful or damaging, depending on circumstances and oxygen therapy should be used to benefit the patient by increasing the supply of oxygen to the lungs and thereby increasing the availability of oxygen to the body tissues, especially when the patient is suffering from hypoxia and/or hypoxaemia.

Oxygen Tank and Parts

Tank
This is also referred to as the cylinder. The tank is the largest part of the apparatus. It is made of metal and is what holds the oxygen in this apparatus. The oxygen is highly pressurized within this tank. Depending on the use for the oxygen tank, they can also vary in size. Small tanks are portable which allows them to be used for purposes such as rescue missions and personal medical use. Larger tanks are usually used to fill smaller containers. A portable medical oxygen tank has a wheeled cart so that it can be moved easily.

Crush Gasket
This is a plastic washer that comes on every new tank of oxygen and on refilled tanks. The plastic is usually of the Nylon brand. This is not a permanent piece to the oxygen tank. It is put on to ensure that

no oxygen leaks from the tank during transport. When setting up a new oxygen tank for use, it is removed and discarded.

Humidifier
The humidifier is composed of a bottle and an adaptor. The adaptor is used to connect the humidifier to the regulator of the tank. It dispenses a mist of water that mixes with the oxygen before you breathe it in. This part is important because breathing the oxygen directly from the tank can dry a person's nose, mouth, throat, and skin. The water mist stops this from occurring. The water must either be distilled or sterile, as it is mixing with the oxygen a person is about to breathe in, and therefore needs to be as clean as possible.

Regulator
This piece is attached to the top of the oxygen tank cylinder. Both the flow meter and the pressure gauge are contained on the regulator. The regulator has its own purpose as well. It controls the amount of oxygen that is leaving the tank, and ensures it stays at a safe pressure.

Flow Meter
The flow meter is located on the regulator. It measures the amount of oxygen that is leaving the tank in liters per minute. The meter is either a vertical line with a small silver ball inside of it that rises or drops as the amount of oxygen leaving the tank changes, or a circle that has a small arrow inside of it that moves around the circle as the amount of oxygen leaving the tank changes.

Pressure Gauge
The pressure gauge is located on the regulator with the flow meter. This gauge measures the pressure still inside of the tank to display how much oxygen is remaining. A round, glass covered dial displays the amount of oxygen that is still contained in the tank. A full portable oxygen tank used for most medical purposes has 1800-2200 pounds per square inch (PSI).

Sealing Washer
The sealing washer is located between the oxygen tank and the regulator. It is a washer made of either metal or metal and rubber. It ensures that there is a tight seal between the two components surrounding it so there is no oxygen leakage.

Oxygen Delivery Apparatus

The oxygen delivery apparatus is any of a number of breathing apparatuses that transfers the oxygen from the actual tank to the person. This device could be a nasal cannula, nonrebreather mask, partial rebreather mask, or just a simple face mask. The device that is used differs based on the needs of the person using the oxygen tank. Oxygen travels through the regulator, flow meter, humidifier, and pressure gauge to get from the oxygen tank to the tube that connects to the breathing apparatus.