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Category: Oxygen Safety
16 Tips for Oxygen Safety at Home
Oxygen is very safe to have in the home, as long as these guidelines are followed. Are the following 16 tips included in your oxygen safety training for your
What is OxySafe?
OxySafe™ is a thermal fuse designed to stop the flow of gas in the event that the downstream cannula or supply tube is ignited, and will meet VA, ISO and other regulatory
OxySafe Safety Update
As a reminder, in March 2018, the Veterans Health Administration issued a Patient Safety Alert mandating the use of thermal shut-off devices (also known as firebreaks, fire stop valves or fire safety valves) in all of its home oxygen patients’ installations. The VHA will be incorporating new requirements into all DME contracts for home oxygen. KEY POINTS OF THE PATIENT SAFETY ALERT The VA’s Patient Safety Alert requires that thermal fuses (firebreaks) are fitted to all home oxygen patients’ installations—unless there is a clinical reason for not doing so. The Patient Safety Alert applies to all patients, not just those deemed to be at ‘high risk’. Two thermal shut-off devices must be fitted on each patient installation. In other words, where a patient uses both stationary and portable oxygen, two thermal fuses must be fitted on the stationary oxygen source and two on the portable source. In the case of portable devices, the requirement only applies to those with a continuous flow. Following the Patient Safety Alert, all DME providers will be responsible to report home oxygen fires to the local VA medical center and must provide specific information about the fire. Any unidirectional thermal fuses must be replaced with bidirectional versions at the next scheduled visit or sooner (unless the unidirectional is designed so it cannot be fitted in the wrong orientation, if it has a thread or bayonet for e
NEW Easy-to-Install OxySafe
PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 13, 2016 NEW EASY-TO-INSTALL OXYSAFE TWO DIRECTIONAL THERMAL FUSE AVAILABLE NOW TO HELP PREVENT OXYGEN FIRES CAUSED BY SMOKING OxySafe™ now offers a new installation step-saving bi-directional thermal fuse to help prevent oxygen fires caused by patients smoking while receiving oxygen therapy. It provides two directional protection against oxygen fires caused by patients smoking, using candles, stove-top ranges or other open flames while receiving oxygen therapy. Such fires are particularly prevalent in situations where oxygen therapy is provided in the home environment where there is limited patient supervision, though it may occur in environments like healthcare facilities and nursing homes too. OxySafe™ director of sales Jon Schultz noted that some studies have estimated 39% of COPD patients continue to smoke while on oxygen. He said that OxySafe’s new bi-directional thermal fuse saves time and effort in set-up. “It really is a convenience for the customer that eliminates the need to check to see that the arrow is pointing the correct way during installation,” said Schultz. “One less step may not sound like a lot, but it’s a huge benefit to the end user that saves installation time and enhances accuracy,” he continued. Easy-to-install thermal fuses such as the OxySafe™ are gaining in popularity as a way to combat home oxygen fires, especially by vet
What about Bob? Oxygen 101 The Road To Safety
During my career I lost two patients because they both were smoking cigarettes while on oxygen. The first patient actually was in his living room with his wife and visitors. He was a retired plumber and was very familiar with oxygen and its properties. He chose to smoke with his nasal cannula in place, something that he had done many times previously. But luck only lasts so long. The witnesses stated all they could remember was seeing flames coming from his mouth and
FDA requires 2 leak tests during the fill process
The FDA requires 2 leak tests during the fill process, one while the cylinder is filling and another on the cylinder after they have been filled. This test must be done on every cylinder, to ensure that the contents of the cylinder is not leaking out, and that the patient will receive the full contents of the
Quick Tips For Oxygen Cleaning!
What Is Oxygen Cleaning? Clean equipment that comes into contact with oxygen requires specific procedures to ensure that nothing is left on the surface that could interact with oxygen. There are two types of cleaning that are pertinent for oxygen equipment, cleaning with oxygen compatible cleaners and cleaning equipment for oxygen service. 1. Cleaning with oxygen-compatible cleaners Oxygen can react with any residue, particles, dirt, oil, grease or other contaminants that are left on the surface of equipment the comes into contact with oxygen, such as the cylinder surface. The body of a cylinder or a regulator for example, should be cleaned with chemicals that will leave nothing behind that will cause an interaction with oxygen. 2. Cleaning equipment for oxygen service Surfaces that come into direct contact with oxygen, such as the valve opening on a cylinder, the inside of a cylinder or oxygen connection, must not only be cleaned with an oxygen compatible cleaner, but also with special equipment and processes to ensure that the surface has no particles left behind. If there are even small particles on the wetted surface, the speed of the oxygen coming out of the valve, could actually ignite the particles. The procedure you’ll have to follow for this is found in CGA G 4.1. What about leak testing? According to FDA guidance and industry standards, soap and water solutions used to leak test are not recommended and may even prove dangerous. Soap contains animal fat
The importance of purchasing quality regulators from suppliers
Applied is one of the leading medical oxygen regulator suppliers in the home healthcare industry and here are some important questions you should consider before purchasing a medical regulator. Why is it important that I sell quality regulators? A quality regulator delivers the proper prescription of oxygen specified by the healthcare professional, which benefits providers and ultimately patients. Some medical regulator suppliers, like Applied, engineer and do final testing of regulators in the U.S. to ensure regulator quality and dependability. Remember, price is not as important as quality. The price difference between a quality regulator and a poor quality regulator is usually only $1 or $2, but poor quality regulators have hidden costs. Besides not delivering the correct prescribed dosage, poor quality regulators can leak at a patient’s home and cause additional costs because of pick up and replacement from the patient. Poor quality regulators can even be hazardous from leaks, failure to provide the proper prescription, equipment failures, and more—putting the provider's reputation at risk. How can I determine the quality of a medical oxygen regulator? First, purchase medical devices such as medical oxygen regulators only from a quality, established, and qualified supplier. This ensures if you have a question or a problem you can get answers and solutions. Do medical regulators require periodic testing? Yes, under Compressed Gas Association (CGA) s
Help Prevent Respiratory Infections
Applied offers many items that help prevent and protect you from contracting viruses and diseases such as different strains of influenza and Ebola.
Stopping Patient Cannula Fires
In addition to proper education Applied recommends providing patients with a thermal shut off device, such as Applied OxySafe, as part of regular patient set ups in order to protect against further damage from a tubing
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