According to Taber's Medical Dictionary, oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen for the treatment of conditions resulting from oxygen deficiency. The goal of oxygen therapy is to improve oxygen flow to major organs and tissues, such as the heart, lungs and brain, and to decrease the work of breathing. Oxygen is used in situations such as shortness of breath, cardiac arrest and heart attacks.
Nasal Cannula
One method of delivering oxygen to a patient is by a nasal cannula, sometimes called nasal prongs. Cannulas are used for patients who are awake and breathing on their own. Nasal cannulas are considered low-flow oxygen delivery systems. The advantage of a nasal cannula is that a patient can eat, drink and speak during oxygen administration.
Face Masks
A face mask is another form of oxygen delivery that is used for awake patients who are breathing on their own. Masks come is different types and be can adjusted to deliver specific percentages of oxygen concentrations. Masks deliver a higher flow of oxygen than a cannula is able to deliver. With masks patients are still able to speak, but they may need to remove the mask at short intervals to eat or drink. Patients who use a cannula or a mask are often able to sit up and move around. Some patients will have a portable oxygen tank that allows them to continue day-to-day activities.
Resuscitation Bags
A bag-mask device consists of a ventilation bag attached to a face mask. These are used for patients who require assisted breathing. In some instances the patient has a tube placed through his mouth or nose into the trachea, called an endotracheal tube. The ventilation bag can be connected to the endotracheal tube. Ventilation bags can deliver oxygen concentrations up to 100 percent.
Mechanical Ventilation
If a patient requires assisted breathing for an extended period of time, she will have an endotracheal tube placed and be put on a mechanical ventilator. The ventilator is a machine that is connected to the breathing tube, and it can be set to assist the patient's breathing. The machine can be set to do all the breathing for the patient or it can assist the patient in between the patient's own breathing.
Complications
Oxygen is considered a drug and should not be used without a physician's order. Too much oxygen is called oxygen toxicity, which can in fact cause nausea and vomiting, anxiety and visual disturbances, muscle twitching and seizures.
References
- "Taber's Medical Dictionary"; F.A. Davis; 2009
- "Essentials of Critical Care Nursing"; McGraw Hill; 2006
- "Priorities in Critical Care Nursing"; Mosby Elsevier; 2008
