Oxygen Supply in Hospitals: Requisites in the Current Pandemic

Anesth Essays Res. 2021 Jul-Sep;15(3):253-256. doi: 10.4103/aer.aer_116_21. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

Abstract

Medical oxygen is an essential medicine as is aptly stated by the World Health Organization. With the advent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and with increased lung involvement, oxygen has become a precious life-saving drug. With more than 200 million cases worldwide, this pandemic has put tremendous pressure on scarce healthcare resources. In a step toward our readiness for further COVID-19 waves, we would like to bring forth the information regarding oxygen supply in the hospitals. We searched various published literature in journals and books, as well as scientific databases, including PubMed Central, Google Scholar, National Medical Library, and Medline, using search terms as "oxygen sources," "oxygen supply," and "hospitals." The relevant articles published during the period of 1990-2021 and in the English language were selected. This article is an attempt to enrich the readers in further strengthening the oxygen supplies in hospitals during such pandemics and other natural disasters.

Keywords: Concentrators; liquid oxygen; oxygen cylinders; oxygen supply.

Publication types

  • Review