How to use a portable oxygen bag?

People can usually see oxygen bags in hospitals. In comparison, oxygen bags are rarely used in daily life. However, those who plan to travel to plateau areas must prepare oxygen bags in advance. Once someone suffers from hypoxia, oxygen bags will play a very important role. It is recommended that you buy portable oxygen bags, which are very convenient to carry. The usage of this oxygen bag is as follows.

How to use a portable oxygen bag?

(1) Do not add too much oxygen to prevent explosion. A humidifier bottle is a must to control the oxygen flow.

(2) Before inhaling oxygen, insert the oxygen tube into water to see if bubbles appear to prevent blockage.

(3) Before inhaling oxygen, clear the nasal secretions.

(4) Smoking and fire are prohibited during the use of oxygen bags to prevent accidents.

(5) The oxygen tube inserted into the nostrils can generally be replaced every 12 hours.

The oxygen bag is a special rectangular rubber pillow filled with oxygen. One corner of the bag is connected to a rubber tube to supply oxygen, relieve the patient's breathing difficulties and increase myocardial oxygen supply. It is easy to carry and can be used to rescue critically ill patients at home or to transfer patients during transportation. Instructions for use and precautions are as follows:

1. After the oxygen bag is filled with oxygen, clamp the rubber tube with a spiral clamp. To check whether the oxygen bag is leaking, you can press the oxygen bag with both hands and put it close to your cheek. If there is a leak, you can feel a flow of air on your cheek and sometimes you can even hear the sound of air flow. If any leak is found, it must be repaired promptly to ensure timely oxygen supply.

2. Connect the sterilized nasal catheter to the glass tube and tighten it to the oxygen bag hose. Open the spiral clamp and aim the mouth of the nasal catheter at the cheek. If you feel airflow, it means the nasal catheter is unobstructed. You can also put the mouth of the nasal catheter into a cup of cold boiled water. If you see bubbles escaping from the water, it means the nasal catheter is unobstructed, and the amount of oxygen being supplied can be determined by the amount of bubbles escaping.

3. Use a cotton swab dipped in boiled water to clean one side of the nasal cavity, then insert the nasal cannula moistened with cold boiled water and carrying oxygen into the nostril. Be sure to use tape to fix the nasal cannula to the edge of the nostril to prevent it from slipping.

4. If you have nasal congestion, you can also use nasal prongs to breathe oxygen. It is less irritating than a nasal cannula, more comfortable, and easier for patients to accept. If you can't buy nasal plugs, you can modify it with a rubber head of a dropper. Just connect the rubber head to the connecting pipe and cut a small hole at the front end of the rubber head.

5. When the pressure in the oxygen bag decreases, you can add pressure with your hands to facilitate the discharge of oxygen, or place the oxygen bag under the patient's head like a pillow and use the weight of the patient's head to allow the oxygen to be discharged.

6. If conditions permit, it is best to add a humidifier bottle in the middle of the oxygen bag hose. This will keep the oxygen moist to prevent the patient from damaging the respiratory mucosa due to inhaling dry oxygen. The humidifier bottle is filled with 1/3 boiling water. There are two holes on the bottle stopper, which can be used to insert two long and short glass tubes. The upper end of the long glass tube is connected to the leather tube of the oxygen bag, and the lower end should be 2-3 cm below the water surface to allow oxygen to escape from under the water through the glass tube, and then enter the short glass tube 4-5 cm from the water surface and the leather tube and nasal catheter connected to its upper end to transport oxygen. In this way, the oxygen entering the patient's nasal cavity is humidified by water, making the patient feel comfortable. But be careful not to connect the two glass tubes in the wrong position, otherwise the water in the humidification bottle will enter the patient's oral respiratory tract due to the increase in pressure due to the flow of oxygen, causing the patient to suffocate.