Oxygen first aid kit showing a demand valve and a constant flow mask

Oxygen first aid or oxygen administration is a first aid treatment for many medical emergencies involving the organs of Cellular respiration is, in its broadest definition, the process in which the energy-rich molecules such as glucose are converted into energy usable for life processes. Oxidation of organic material—in a bonfire, for example—is an exothermic reaction that releases a large amount of energy rather quickly... respiration and Circulation refers to the movement of the blood through the heart and blood vessels. Mechanisms The mechanisms can be further subcategorized. General mechanisms of the cardiovascular system Blood pressure regulation is the regulation of blood pressure. Cardiac cycle Cardiovascular reflex Cardiac output Heartbeat regulation The prevention of blood loss is... circulation such as A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a serious, sudden heart condition... heart attack, Drowning is death due to asphyxia caused by immersion in fluid, usually water. Near drowning is initial survival of a drowning accident which can lead to serious secondary complications including death; cases of near drowning therefore require attention by medical professionals. Secondary drowning is death due to chemical and biological... drowning, Carbon monoxide, chemical formula CO, is a colourless, odourless, flammable and highly toxic gas. It is a major product of the incomplete combustion of carbon and carbon-containing compounds. Sources Carbon monoxide has many common sources. The exhaust of the internal combustion engine, when burning a carbon-based fuel (i... carbon monoxide poisoning, This article needs cleanup. Please edit this article to conform to a higher standard of article quality. Decompression illness (DCI) is any of the diving disorders caused by the presence of bubbles of gas in the divers body. These bubbles may be caused by: Gas embolism caused by breaks... decompression illness, lung Barotrauma is physical damage to body tissues caused by a difference in pressure between an air space inside or beside the body and the surrounding gas or liquid. Barotrauma typically occurs to air spaces within a body when that body moves to or from a higher pressure environment, such as... barotrauma and Description An air embolism, or more generally gas embolism, is a medical condition caused by gas bubbles in the bloodstream. Small amounts of air often get into the blood circulation accidentally during surgery and other medical procedures, but air embolism which shows symptoms is relatively rare. Large emboli can be... gas embolism. Administration of oxygen is also helpful in multiple Trauma can represent: A serious and often body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. (see: physical trauma) An emotional or psychological injury, usually resulting from an extremely stressful and life-threatening situation. (see: psychological trauma) Trauma Studios created Desert Combat, the most successful mod of the... trauma patients, unresponsive patients of unknown history, and This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. The other major but far less common diabetes is diabetes insipidus (water diabetes, DI). Diabetes mellitus is a medical disorder characterized by varying or persistent hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels), especially after eating. All types of diabetes mellitus share... diabetic emergencies.

The first aid treatment benefits the patient by increasing the supply of General Name, Symbol, Number Oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16 (VIA), 2, p Density, Hardness 1.429 kg/m3, NA Appearance colorless Atomic properties Atomic weight 15.9994 g/mol Atomic radius (calc.) 60 (48) pm Covalent radius 73 pm van der Waals radius 152 pm... oxygen to the body and improving the delivery of oxygen to In biology, an organ is a group of tissues which perform some function. Common animal organs include the heart, lungs, brain, eye, stomach, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, liver, intestines, skin, uterus, bladder, bone, etc. Common plant organs include the stalk, stem, leaf, roots, and stamen. A group of related organs is... organs that may have been starved of oxygen during the medical crisis.

There are three main devices used for oxygen delivery:

1. The simple face mask (SFM) is a basic mask used for non-life-threatening conditions but which may progress in time, such as chest pain (possible heart attacks), dizziness, and minor Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. It is usually used to describe internal bleeding, for example, cerebral hemorrhage, which can have serious complications if left untreated. Nevertheless, the term itself is general to all bleeding. See also Aneurysm Upper gastrointestinal bleed Categories: Medicine stubs | Surgery... haemorrhages. It is usually set to deliver oxygen at about 6-10 litres per minute (lpm), 10 lpm being the standard. The oxygen concentration for this device is about 40-60%.
2. The non-rebreather mask (NRB) is utilized for patients with multiple trauma injuries, chronic airway limitation/chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. It has an attached reservoir bag where oxygen fills in between breaths that allows the administration of close to 100% concentration oxygen. This device is set to 8-15 lpm, or enough to keep the reservoir inflated between breaths. (It should be noted that many "non-rebreather" masks are technically "partial-rebreather" (PRB) masks--a non-rebreather mask would not permit air from the surrounding environment to be inhaled through the mask.)
3. The bag-valve-mask (BVM) is used for patients in critical condition who are either breathing extremely inefficiently, or not breathing at all (respiratory arrest). An oxygen reservoir bag is attached to a central cylindrical bag, attached to a valved mask that administers almost 100% concentration oxygen at 8-15 lpm. The central bag is squeezed to deliver a "breath" to the patient in arrest.

Alternatively, there is a device called a In medicine, a nebulizer is a device used to administer medication to people in forms of a liquid mist to the airways. It is thus used in treating respiratory diseases. Also called atomizers, they pump air or oxygen through a liquid medicine to turn it into a vapor, which is... nebulizer which is used to deliver certain drugs such as Salbutamol (INN) or albuterol (USAN) is a short-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist used for the relief of bronchospasm in conditions such as asthma and COPD. It is marketed by the Allen & Hanburys respiratory division of GlaxoSmithKline under the trade name Ventolin. Salbutamol sulfate is usually given... Ventolin or Epinephrine (INN) or adrenaline (BAN) is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. Both names mean the same: the Latin roots ad-+renes and the Greek roots epi-+nephros both literally mean on/to the kidney (referring to the adrenal gland, which secretes epinephrine). Epinephrine is sometimes shortened to epi in medical... epinephrine into the airways by creating a mist of the drug. These are often used for patients experiencing Asthma is an immunological disease which causes difficulty in breathing. It is a form of type II hypersensitivity in which the bronchioles in the lungs are narrowed by inflammation and spasm of the lining of the airway wall. A person with asthma may experience wheezing, shortness of breath and poor... asthma attacks or Anaphylaxis is a severe and rapid systemic allergic reaction to a trigger substance, called an allergen. Minute amounts of trigger substances may cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis may occur after ingestion, inhalation, skin contact or injection of a trigger substance. The most severe type of anaphylaxis - anaphylactic shock... anaphylactic shock.

Oxygen, as a first aid treatment, should not be given to children or people suffering from certain long-term lung conditions without proper medical supervision.

See also

• see Mechanical ventilation (disambiguation) for other meanings. In medicine, mechanical ventilation method to assist or replace spontaneous breathing. Mechanical ventilation can be life-saving and is a mainstay of CPR, intensive care medicine, and anesthesia. Clinical use Mechanical ventilation is used when natural (spontaneous) breathing is absent (apnea) or insufficient... Mechanical ventilation
• Oxygen therapy

External Links

• American Lung Association Oxygen Therapy Fact Sheet (http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35697)