Oxygen Tanks

[sls73]

[color=#545556]we are looking at various types of oxygen (concentrators, portables, battery packs) for a skilled nursing facility. i have worked facilities that switch everyone over to tanks and others that have left them on the concentrator. the battery packs only hold a charge for a few hours and i am told they do not work for all residents. storage though is a concern with the tanks

[color=#545556]what is everyone else doing and what do you like or dont like? please and thank you in advance- just trying to explore options.

[amoLucia]

I've used all three, plus in-wall units. To me, concentrators seemed the easiest to work, but were always breaking down and needing repairs. So we search & search & search for replacement units. If you've a LARGE number of pts needing O2, will you have enough? If power goes out, where will you plug in? Where will you store/park extra machines? And you will need a cleaning schedule to include the nasty dusty filters! MY biggest pet peeve with concentrators was that there were never enough electirc sockets to accomodate the concentrator & IV pump & GT pump & nebulizer & CPM machine & electric bed (laptop plug, cell phone charger, cd player, personal fan)etc. GET THE IDEA?!?! And then if the roommate has equip also!

Big tanks were a nuisance r/t size & being awkward in the room, and then unit and central storage were problematic. Who will bring them to the floor? Will deliveries be sufficient if there's a large usage? And the need for WORKING REGULATORS? You need sufficient supply of them and staff need to be knowledgabe in the assemby (not always easy). Tank dollies, too.

Those little battery ones and/or liquid oxygen rechargeables last only briefly, but they are good for whch trransport and off-unit activities. Not long term use. Again, someone must be responsible for recharging them. Also, they empty out silently so your pt is on room air!

In-wall units were no-brainers but that was preplanned into the building of the walls They were a luxury! But flowmeters were a scarcity.

As supervisor in various LTC facilities, I've done them all in different combos. The time & energy I've spent making sure my units were covered could be horrendous some nights. I've faced all the problems I mentioned. Some employers rose to the challenges and worked to make the system work. And others...(let's not go there!). But with mgt accomodating the system, I personally would choose concentrators with big tank availability for quick use. Just my:twocents:

[buytheshoes11, MSN, RN]

We use concentrators for the patients while they are in their rooms and tanks for when they aren't. However, we have a lot of issues with our concentrators malfunctioning, so in some cases we end up putting tanks in the rooms in place of concentrators until we can get a new one.

[lumbarpain, ADN, RN]

I hated when maintenance never replaced the empty tanks, then a code came.....also when the crash cart was left without the O2 being checked, Most times the gauge read empty. We had these HUGH O2 MISSILES I didnt like...very heavy to carry on a wheeled cart down to a patients room They were at least 5 feet tall and the weight of them was at least 50 pounds... All nurses should KNOW how to put that gauge/regulator on an O2 tank......many nurses I worked with could not or would not do this. So frustrating. I loved the concentrators...but then again....nurses didnt check those filters in the back and they shut off from overheating. ugh.