We breathe in oxygen about every four to five seconds to fuel our body’s functions. No animal or plant can live without oxygen. The air we breathe contains about 21 percent oxygen. This amount is enough for people with healthy lungs and even for many with lung disease. However, some people with lung disease do not breathe in enough oxygen through normal breathing. These people need extra (supplemental) oxygen. People who have chronic (long term) lung disease or who have acute (short term) breathing conditions may require oxygen in the home.
When a person’s heart or lungs are not able to deliver enough oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues, oxygen therapy is needed. Oxygen is a gas that must be prescribed, like a medicine, by a doctor. Depending on a person’s illness, oxygen therapy will be either temporary or long term.
Giving oxygen is a relatively easy skill if you understand why the person you care for needs oxygen, and how to act when an oxygen delivery system does not function properly. This lesson will prepare you to safely administer oxygen.