What are the prevention and management of oxygen toxicity?
Sep 04, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Shuwen
Introduction
In general, oxygen toxicity can be prevented by maintaining proper environmental ventilation, paying attention to eye health, monitoring diet, controlling oxygen concentration, and using oxygen equipment properly. It can be managed by reducing oxygen concentration, inhaling mixed gases, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, medication, and symptomatic treatment. Patients who develop oxygen toxicity should seek timely medical care at a hospital.
Under normal circumstances, oxygen toxicity can be prevented by maintaining proper ventilation, paying attention to eye health, maintaining a healthy diet, controlling oxygen concentration, and using oxygen equipment properly. It can be managed by reducing oxygen concentration, inhaling mixed oxygen, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy, medication, and symptomatic treatment. The details are as follows:
I. Prevention
1. Maintain Environmental Ventilation
When working inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, ensure adequate ventilation to avoid prolonged inhalation of high-concentration oxygen, which may lead to oxygen toxicity.
2. Pay Attention to Eye Health
In daily life, maintain good eye health by avoiding prolonged reading, watching television, or using electronic devices such as smartphones to prevent eye strain, which may contribute to oxygen toxicity.
3. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Adopt healthy eating habits in daily life. Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables—such as carrots, dragon fruit, and kiwi—can supply essential nutrients, benefit overall health, improve physical condition, and help prevent oxygen toxicity.
4. Control Oxygen Concentration
When using oxygen, carefully control the oxygen concentration, generally keeping it below 40%. If high-concentration oxygen is required, gradually increase the concentration according to need to avoid sudden exposure to high oxygen levels that could trigger oxygen toxicity.
5. Use Oxygen Equipment Properly
Oxygen equipment should be used strictly according to guidelines to prevent oxygen leakage and waste. Additionally, regularly inspect the equipment to ensure it is functioning properly.
II. Management
1. Reduce Oxygen Concentration
Upon onset of symptoms of oxygen toxicity, immediately stop inhaling high-concentration oxygen and gradually reduce the oxygen concentration to prevent worsening of the condition.
2. Inhale Mixed Oxygen
Oxygen toxicity primarily refers to a condition caused by excessive oxygen content in the air exceeding the body's ability to bind oxygen in tissues, typically occurring in hypoxic environments. After developing oxygen toxicity, patients should seek immediate medical attention and inhale mixed oxygen to increase blood oxygen partial pressure and alleviate discomfort.
3. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Therapy
After oxygen toxicity occurs, patients may also undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy under medical supervision. This helps increase blood oxygen partial pressure, improve tissue hypoxia, and relieve symptoms.
4. Medication
Following oxygen toxicity, patients may be prescribed medications such as Coenzyme Q10 capsules and Adenosine Disodium Triphosphate tablets under medical guidance. These drugs effectively improve cellular metabolism and promote cellular recovery.
5. Symptomatic Treatment
Treatment should be tailored to the patient’s specific symptoms. For example, if lung injury occurs, treatments may include respiratory support, diuretics, and corticosteroids; for neurological damage, sedatives and anticonvulsant medications may be administered.
In addition to the common treatments mentioned above, other interventions such as hemodialysis may be used. Patients experiencing oxygen toxicity should promptly seek medical care, determine the underlying cause, and follow medical advice for appropriate treatment.
