Portable Oxygen
Concentrators
Portable oxygen concentrators are an excellent
choice if they will provide the oxygen you need!
They can be easily charged at
any 110v outlet or 12v power outlet.
No need to carry a supply of oxygen with you but an extra
battery makes them even more flexible.
They are easy to carry and are a good if they supply the
oxygen you need.
Unfortunately, portable oxygen concentrators
often do not supply the needed oxygen.
I am going to break it down into three groups.
In the first group, they supply the needed oxygen. In the
second group they may almost supply the needed oxygen for some.
In the third group, they
don't supply the needed oxygen.
This is based on my personal experiences.
For the first group pocs work great. They
provide the needed oxygen. They are lightweight. They can be charged
in your home or car. And
those in this group have a prescription for 1 LPM of supplemental
oxygen or less. The
blood oxygen levels may still drop into the mid-eighties while
mobile.
The second group have a prescription for2 LPM
of supplemental oxygen or less and the pocs will provide some
mobility, but the blood oxygen levels will drop to the low to
mid-eighties when active.
Reducing activities and moving slower may keep blood oxygen
levels in the mid-eighties and above.
Using a shopping cart or a walker with 8-inch wheels will
help blood oxygen levels while walking.
The third group have prescriptions for 2 LPM of
supplemental oxygen or higher, and blood oxygen levels may drop into
the seventies if active.
Pocs do not supply the needed oxygen to this group even though they
may be able to do more and recover from shortness of breath quicker.
I am in the third group and for three years
used an Inogen One G3 poc.
It was better than having no mobile supplemental oxygen and
did help me stay active but did not come close to suppling the
supplemental oxygen I needed.
I continued to play tennis(doubles) ride an electric bike,
walk using a shopping cart and travel.
While active I continually monitored my blood oxygen level
and heart rate with an oximeter just as I had in the years before
starting supplemental oxygen.
If my blood oxygen level dropped to the low eighties or below
I would bring it back up to the high eighties by pursed lip
breathing. Watching my
heart rate was also important.
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How do I know that I'm using the right
amount of supplemental oxygen?
To determine if you're getting the right amount
of supplemental oxygen, your oxygen saturation must be measured
while you are using your oxygen. Your provider or a respiratory
therapist from the oxygen supplier should test your oxygen
saturation on oxygen while you are at rest, while walking and, if
indicated, while you are asleep. As long as your saturation is in
the 90s, you are getting the right amount of supplemental oxygen.
From
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/the-need-for-supplemental-oxygen
Should I buy my own finger oximeter to test
my oxygen saturations?
It is probably a good idea to buy a finger
oximeter, so that you are sure you are getting the right amount of
supplemental oxygen. Finger oximeters are available on the internet,
through medical supply companies and even in sporting goods stores.
From
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/the-need-for-supplemental-oxygen
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If your blood oxygen levels go into
the seventies or low eighties when moving about let your Physician
know. Document what you
were doing and the sp02 level. Then ask to be prescribed
more oxygen.
Be
proactive in your own care!