An improvised oxygen supply system for pandemic and disaster use

Abstract

Background: Current disaster planning for pandemic influenza anticipates overwhelming numbers of patients in need of hospitalization. The anticipated use of extra, or "surge," beds is common in both hospital and community disaster response planning. In a pandemic of respiratory illness, supplemental oxygen will be a life-saving intervention. There are currently few options to provide these proposed surge beds with the necessary oxygen. Objectives: A method of providing an improvised oxygen delivery system for use in a disaster was developed and tested. This system was designed to use readily available commercial materials to assemble an oxygen delivery system. Methods: The study consisted of a laboratory design, assembly, and testing of an improvised oxygen system. Results: A liquid oxygen (LOX) Dewar container was used to supply oxygen systems built from inexpensive commercially available plastic tubing and fittings. The system will drive ventilators without significant pressure drop or ventilator malfunction. The final developed system will supply 30 patients with up to 6 L/min (l pm) oxygen each by nasal cannula from a single oxygen Dewar. Conclusions: An improvised system to deliver oxygen for patient beds or ventilator use can be easily assembled in the event of a disaster. This could be life-saving in the event of a pandemic of respiratory illness. © 2009 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.