Why Are These Needed
Changes?
These changes will help those of us on
supplemental oxygen get the oxygen we need!
Portable Oxygen Concentrator settings
are arbitrary numbers with no relationship to LPM which are used to
indicate the amount of oxygen prescribed creates a great deal of
confusion to all involved with supplemental oxygen.
That confusion often leads those with the prescription being
sold a poc that does not meet their oxygen needs.
Their health and quality of life suffer and may lead to a
premature death.
Liquid Oxygen is hard to come by because
of Medicare policies that were encouraged by Congress.
Congress wanted Medicare to cut supplemental oxygen costs and
it was done by paying DMEs enough to supply concentrators but almost
impossible to supply liquid oxygen.
I use a home an EverFlo home concentrator and UltraFill
System for tanks and it works fine for me at home but does not
supply the oxygen for me to do activities that make me healthier and
give me a higher quality of life which leads to hospitalizations and
death. Liquid oxygen
allows me to stay active, healthier and have a higher quality of
life.
Sp02 levels of 88% to 92% are
very limiting and lead to confusion and fear.
A lot of research shows that people with COPD in a
respiratory crisis or exasperation are less likely to die if their
sp02 is kept between 88% and 92%.
I don’t know of any research that shows all people with COPD
should do the same. One
study shows a sp02
of 93% to 96% saves lives.
When Medicare put new payment policies in
place back in the 1990s and 2006 they were based on saving
money, not providing good care to those with respiratory problems
which leads to a lower quality of life, more medical expenses and an
early death.
When we are able to get the supplemental oxygen we need we are able
to be more active and healthier with a higher quality of life while
lowering healthcare costs, saving Medicare $$$.
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Your lungs and
exercise
When you exercise and your muscles work
harder, your body uses more oxygen and produces more carbon dioxide.
To cope with this extra demand, your breathing has to increase from
about 15 times a minute (12 litres of air) when you are resting, up
to about 40–60 times a minute (100 litres of air) during exercise.
Your circulation also speeds up to take the oxygen to the muscles so
that they can keep moving.
From
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/
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Portable Oxygen
Concentrators (POCs)
by Chris Garvey FNP, MSN,
MPA, MAACVPR
Portable
oxygen concentrators (POCs) offer many advantages for persons
needing oxygen. Like most technology, understanding a device’s use
and limitations is essential for effectiveness and safety.
Manufacturers may not uniformly provide detailed device information
which may limit both informed clinician prescribing and user
knowledge and preparedness. Below are considerations that may help
prospective and current users get the most out of POCs. The
following information is not a substitute for your provider’s care
and recommendations.
From
https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/portable-concentrators-garvey.pdf
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THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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These are my thoughts and
experiences, not medical advice.
Gerald(Skip) Miller