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All gas cylinders in the UK have a collar indicating the pressure within them when full and their content in litres at 15°C. Cylinders are made in different sizes and are given alphabetical labels. The most frequently used cylinders on transports are sizes D, CD, and F (British Oxygen Company, Worsley, Manchester, UK). The D size is a small cylinder often strapped to the side of an ambulance stretcher and holds 340 litres of oxygen at 13 700 kPa. The CD size is a newer version of the D with an integral valve, and holds 460 litres at 23 000 kPa. Two F size cylinders are often found in "front line" ambulances, and each holds 1360 litres at 13 700 kPa. The volume of gas in the cylinder is directly proportional to the pressure; at sea level a flowmeter set at 5 l/min will deliver oxygen at that rate. However, ventilators often consume oxygen at a rate higher than the selected minute volume. We present a graphical solution to assist oxygen management and reduce the risk of running out of oxygen during a patient transport.
METHODS
As explained above, there are different sizes of cylinder. There are also many different transport ventilators. The simplest retrieval involves oxygen delivery via a flowmeter either into a facemask, nasal cannula, or breathing circuit.
We calculated...