ATS GUIDELINES Bundle

Table 2. Characteristics of Portable Oxygen Devices Metal Oxygen Cylinders POCs LOX Size and weight Available in multiple sizes from 2.5 to 9 kg (E cylinder in United States, which requires a trolley) a Vary in weight (1.5–10 kg ), noise, battery life, oxygen purity (87–95%), maximum breath rates, and settings (pulse f low, continuous f low, or both) b, c Medium to large canister ranges between 2.5 and 4 kg Filling Some stationary concentrators allow patients to fill smaller oxygen cylinders in their home, (home-fill units), but these last <1 h on continuous-f low rates >3 L/min and therefore are inadequate for high- f low patients. No filling ; POCs "concentrate" oxygen by extracting nitrogen from ambient air. ey run off of a battery and can be recharged. Patients refill portable canisters from a larger home reservoir of LOX. One liter of LOX expands to 860 L of gaseous oxygen. Pulse setting or continuous- f low capacity d Oxygen-conserving devices using pulse- f low technolog y can be attached to metal cylinders to prolong the duration of supply by releasing oxygen only during inspiration. Because of differences in an individual patient's ability to trigger a pulse dose of oxygen, and the volume delivered with each pulse at different respiratory rates, they may be insufficient for patients who require continuous oxygen with exertion at >3 L/ min, such as those with interstitial lung disease, lung transplantation candidates, and others with severe hypoxemia. At a given pulse-f low setting, POCs differ as to the volume of oxygen (ml) per pulse, inspiratory time, and triggering sensitivity and may not consistently sense patients' inspiratory efforts to trigger the device. a Pulse settings are based on an oxygen volume unique to each device, not a standardized L/min methodolog y. Portable LOX technolog y allows delivery of continuous-f low oxygen up to 15 L/ min via a lighter and longer-duration device.

• Cover