Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Sep;15(3):e108-e116.
doi: 10.1183/20734735.0204-2019.

Oxygen devices and delivery systems

Georgia Hardavella  1 , Ioannis Karampinis  2 , Armin Frille  3   4 , Katherina Sreter  5 , Ilona Rousalova  6
Affiliations
Review

Oxygen devices and delivery systems

Georgia Hardavella et al. Breathe (Sheff). 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Oxygen use has extended from inpatient to outpatient settings for patients with chronic pulmonary diseases and complications of hypoxaemia. This article presents an overview of oxygen devices (oxygen concentrators, compressed gas cylinders and liquid oxygen) and delivery systems (high- and low-flow). The indications, advantages and disadvantages of each device and delivery system are presented, aiming to offer updated knowledge to the multidisciplinary team members managing patients with respiratory failure, and therefore allowing appropriate selection of devices and delivery systems that are tailored to the needs of each patient.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: G. Hardavella has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: I. Karampinis has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Frille has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: K. Sreter has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: I. Rousalova has nothing to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
a) Stationary oxygen concentrator. b) Portable oxygen concentrator.
Figure 2
Figure 2
a) Compressed gas cylinder with an attached flowmeter, and b) a patient receiving oxygen from this device.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Patient with a nasal cannula and liquid ­oxygen tank.
Figure 4
Figure 4
a) Nasal cannula. b) Non-rebreather mask. c) Venturi mask with different sized ports to change the FIO2 delivered (24–50%). d) FIO2 and oxygen flow are clearly stated on the bottom of each port.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial Group. Continuous or nocturnal oxygen therapy in hypoxemic chronic obstructive lung disease: a clinical trial. Ann Intern Med 1980; 93: 391–398. - PubMed
    1. Medical Research Council Working Party. Long term domiciliary oxygen therapy in chronic hypoxic cor pulmonale complicating chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Lancet 1981; 317: 681–686. - PubMed
    1. O'Driscoll BR, Howard LS, Earis J, et al. . BTS guideline for oxygen use in adults in healthcare and emergency settings. Thorax 2017; 72: Suppl. 1, ii1–ii90. - PubMed
    1. Meena M, Dixit R, Kewlani JP, et al. . Home-based long-term oxygen therapy and oxygen conservation devices: An updated review. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol 2015; 4: 267–273.
    1. Franklin KA, Gustafson T, Ranstam J, et al. . Survival and future need of long-term oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – gender differences. Respir Med 2007; 101: 1506–1511. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources