During an oxygen shortage (like with Covid), could hospitals use a lower concentration, maybe 70-80%? From what I understand, the 99% gets diluted by different apparatuses, such as nasal cannulas (more dilution) and face masks (less dilution). I know quality control and having a reliable baseline is important too, but why is 95-99% the needed concentration?
In: Biology
Effeciency, economically. Why have oxygen bottles that are only 70% oxygen if you’re diluting it with ambient air that is readily available everywhere. It’s more reasonable to pack the bottle full of oxygen, because that’s what your after, and dilute it later on if needed. Put it this way, would you buy a bottle of vodka (oxygen) or would you buy the same bottle that’s been mixed with water (normal air). Assuming that water is readily available, would you buy the vodka bottle and mix your own drink or buy 2 bottles of premixed to drink the same amount.
It’s your body’s incapacity of transferring the oxygen into your blood that requires you to be on supplemental oxygen. If at 21% your organs aren’t getting the job done, then you up that percentage until it does. I’m no medical professional, but that’s my understanding of it.
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