References
Oxygen therapy in a hospital setting
Oxygen is a highly reactive gas that is odourless, tasteless and transparent and makes up just under 21% of atmospheric air (Lister et al, 2020). It is required for cellular respiration and once inhaled into the lungs is distributed around the body via the circulatory system, where it becomes part of the energy-making process within the cells (Waugh and Grant, 2018). Oxygen is therefore vital for life because reduced levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxaemia) or lack of oxygen at a cellular level (hypoxia—PaO2 below 8 kPa (60 mmHg)) can lead to a number of serious complication and can be potentially fatal (Schlag and Redl, 2012; Lister et al, 2020). Oxygen therapy, also referred to as supplementary oxygen, may be required for patients who need treatment for, or are at risk of, hypoxaemia, thereby preventing the occurrence of a hypoxic injury (O'Driscoll et al, 2017). However, although the administration of oxygen will improve the oxygenation of the patient, it does not treat the initial cause of hypoxaemia, which should be investigated as a matter of urgency.
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