Oxygen is extensively used in medical/healthcare because of its importance in sustaining life on the planet earth. Applications of the non-metallic gas cannot be over-emphasized as it is used in surgery, intensive care treatment, inhalation therapy, etc. However, it is imperative that high standards of purity must be maintained. Handling of the oxygen equipment used for delivering medical oxygen to patients must be in compliance with internationally approved standards.
How hospitals get medical oxygen?
There are numerous ways hospitals get oxygen supplies. Many of the hospitals have got onsite oxygen plant for generating oxygen for use for medical purposes. And, gas companies supply oxygen to hospitals as bulk liquid. Whether produced onsite or delivered oxygen is then distributed to the points from where it is supplied to the patients. It is used in treating respiratory problems and as a life-support system.
Now, people are opting for small oxygen generators for home care. Use of non-cryogenic oxygen plants is also gaining popularity in small or remote hospitals where delivering oxygen cylinders is a problem and liquid supply is unavailable. Oxygen is categorized by World Health Organization (WHO) as an essential medicine. There are specialized procedures for making oxygen which are strictly observed for producing high purity oxygen.
Use of nitrogen in healthcare
Nitrogen is one of the most abundantly found elements in the planet earth’s atmosphere and in the universe. As a medical gas, nitrogen is used for cryosurgical removal of some cancers and skin lesions and also for storage of cells, tissues, and blood in cryogenic temperatures. Nitrogen is also used as medical gas mixture for lung test. The pharmaceutical industry also uses nitrogen in the manufacturing of various medications. Liquid nitrogen has extremely low temperature and freezes tissue on contract. It is also used for removing warts or for freezing tissue samples.