How much oxygen do I need in my Dental or Medical Practice?
There has been a lot in the news recently about how long many of the category 2 ambulance calls are taking to get to people. Many are taking an hour or more to arrive. All ambulance trusts should respond to Category 2 calls in 18 minutes on average, and respond to 90% of Category 2 calls in 40 minutes under the 2017 standards. Sadly due to current pressures ambulances are taking longer to arrive.
Dealing with a medical emergency in the practice is stressful enough; having the ambulance delayed is obviously difficult for everyone. However, I’ve also been thinking about the impact of this on your oxygen in your dental or medical practice. You might be thinking “how much oxygen do I need?”
The CQC say this:-
“Oxygen cylinders should be easily portable but must allow adequate flow rate (for example 15 L min) for thirty minutes or until the arrival of emergency services. Local policy should dictate the precise size of cylinder and whether a second cylinder is needed in case the first one is at risk of running out.”
I would recommend because of this that you risk assess your likely delay to a category 2 call. This category includes most of your medical emergencies including heart attacks, strokes and sepsis.
Most cylinders will last 30 minutes on full flow ie 15 l/min. If you are likely to be waiting an hour it may be that you need a second cylinder; or a plan about how to access a second cylinder should you need it. If you are dealing with a patient and recognise that your oxygen is likely to run out please alert the ambulance service by calling 999 again and updating them.
If you need any help with your risk assessment or if you have any other questions please get in touch.
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