I have been on oxygen support since 2007. It was the pollution in Delhi which got to my lungs. I was hospitalised and put on a ventilator but gradually recovered. Since then, I have been on oxygen at home. You could call this a twist of fate because I had worked for over three decades to develop the oxygen and gases industry in India. In 2015, I switched from using a Continuous Positive Air Pressure or CPAP machine to a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure or BiPAP machine and also use Oxygen 24x7. This has constrained my activities, though getting oxygen cylinders was never a problem for me, not only in Delhi NCR, but in any other place in India where I travel. I use a bedside oxygen concentrator at home, and a Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) for travelling. One can lead a near-normal life, as I have been doing for the past six years.
1. What should one consider while choosing an oxygen concentrator?
2. How do you run an oxygen concentrator when there is a power outage?
An oxygen concentrator is simple to operate and requires no technical expertise. It works on an external power source and therefore stops working if the power fails. It does not work on normal domestic inverters. Hence, the best thing to do is to keep oxygen cylinders for any emergency use or to use the battery-operated POC, which can also be recharged on inverter. Extra batteries can also be procured. Each Ni-Ca battery lasts about three hours. A POC can be used while travelling in a car and recharged through the car’s cigarette-lighter point.
3. Can you use a POC on a flight?
Most airlines don’t allow the use of a POC inflight. Instead, as per IATA rules, every airline is required to provide medical oxygen free of cost to any passenger advised to do so by an authorised medical practitioner and duly approved by the airlines’ medical advisor. Every airline has a laid-down procedure to fill and countersign a medical form, which should be submitted at least a few days before the due date of flying. No airlines has ever refused me this facility to me, except for IndiGo, who did not agree to provide me the facility but agreed to a full refund. I faced this problem once on an interconnecting flight was de-boarded at Doha, but was provided exceptional facilities for stay, and allowed to travel the next day. There was perhaps some clerical error or miscommunication. Some latest-generation aircraft, such as Air India’s Dreamliner, now have a plug-in facility for a POC on a few seats (MEDA seats). However, permission to use a POC must be obtained in advance.
4. How can you meet short-term medical requirements of oxygen?
Use an aluminium medical oxygen cylinder since it is lightweight, easy to handle and comes with in-built regulators. Chances of leakage in these cylinders, too, are minimal.
5. What precautions should one take while handling oxygen cylinders?
Cylinder usage requires adequate precaution, such as not handling them with oily hands or cloth. It should also be away from any source of fire. You should also avoid using a hammer to open the cylinder valve.
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