Oxygen therapy: Nursing pharmacology

Oxygen therapy is the delivery of supplemental oxygen to treat hypoxia, which is when there is not enough oxygen to meet the needs of the body.

Hypoxia can be caused by various lung diseases that interfere with its ability to properly absorb oxygen, such as pneumonia, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, or COPD for short, and sleep apnea; as well as blood disorders like various types of anemia, where the red blood cells are not able to carry enough oxygen to meet the body’s demands.

Oxygen also acts as a potent pulmonary vasodilator and thus, it can be helpful in clients with heart problems like heart failure, where the heart has trouble pumping enough blood to meet the body’s demands.

Now, various delivery devices can be applied to administer oxygen therapy. The most common choice is the nasal cannula, which typically is used to deliver oxygen at 1 to 6 liters per minute.

This consists of two prongs that are placed into the nostrils, and a band of tubing wraps around the cheeks and behind the ears to keep it in place. A nasal cannula is easy to apply and is less intrusive, so the client can eat, drink, and talk freely.

Bear in mind that nasal cannulas are not ideal for clients who breathe through their mouths, or those who require high oxygen concentrations. In these cases, the preferred choice is usually a face mask that covers the client’s nose and mouth.

There’s a variety of face masks, ranging from simple ones used to deliver oxygen at 6 to 12 liters per minute, to face masks connected with reservoir bags, used to deliver oxygen at 10 to 15 liters per minute.

These include partial-rebreather masks, which consist of a simple face mask and a bag storing exhaled air and pure oxygen. Every time the client inhales, they breathe in oxygen and exhale air from the bag as well as an amount of room air.