basic O2 q

[Jon]

I think A*MR is moving towards the cylinders with built-in regulators.

So don't get too worried. Just explain that you don't know, if you are asked.

 

[rjz]

I think A*MR is moving towards the cylinders with built-in regulators.

So don't get too worried. Just explain that you don't know, if you are asked.

I haven't seen a bottle with a built in cylinder? Do you use these? What do they look like.

Here is a little useless trivia for everyone. Did you know that all gas cylinders have a certain amount of "holes" in a certain pattern. That way a chlorine regulator can't be used on an O2 tank and visa versa. So the two little holes below the big outlet hole that don't go anywhere are just index holes specific to O2 bottles.

 

[Jon]

This is one example:

 

[Hastings]

Looks a bit...cumbersome.

 

[rjz]

what do you do when it is empty. Is it disposable?

 

[Jon]

They get refilled by an O2 supplier.

 

[rjz]

Hmm.... I like it. Do you have a link?

 

[Jon]

AirGas sells them... but their site is down for maintenance.

 

[IcantThinkofAname]

Wow, I'm surprised as well that it wasn't taught. I'm only in my second week of EMT-B class and not only was there a whole section on it in our textbook but everyone in our class had to know how to take off and put on a regulator, bleed it out, etc. What would happen in the field if you ran out?

Plus, it only took like 5 minutes to learn how to do it. Seems like a good way to spend 5 minutes in class.

More importantly, I hope at least that they taught safety in handling the oxygen tanks. The key words in our last class were "potential missiles."

 

[RESQ_5_1]

If you have trouble with a "D" tank, don't move up here. We not only change our own "D" tanks, we also have to change out our "M" tanks on the car. And that is a whole new bundle of fun. After we change our tanks, we take them to the basement in the hospital where our maintenance personnel refill them. And, before anyone comments, they are a licensed refill station with properly trained personnel.

 

[BossyCow]

Shouldn't the first thing be a detailed discussion of the physiology of ventilation and respiration?

Probably but all that knowledge is pretty worthless if you can't get the o2 out of the bottle when you need it!

 

[guardwantsmore]

That's interesting...

My instructor made it "fun." First she taught us how to put it on. Then we practiced putting it on, checking pressure, opening, bleeding etc. Then we had to do it with our eyes closed...

Then we had races to see who could do it the fatest with their eyes closed. AND...the wrenches were not even attached! But they were there...on the table in front of us. It was a fun day. I think the fatest time was about...19 seconds, or maybe it was 17...it was an odd number.

 

[AnthonyM83]

If you have trouble with a "D" tank, don't move up here. We not only change our own "D" tanks, we also have to change out our "M" tanks on the car. And that is a whole new bundle of fun.

I assumed most systems had to do this. What would be the alternative? 24-hour service attendents at hand to switch them out for you when they run low?

 

[Sapphyre]

I assumed most systems had to do this. What would be the alternative? 24-hour service attendents at hand to switch them out for you when they run low?

Well, we DO have 24 hour techs, but, um, well, most of them will only switch out the house tank for us if it's an all female crew, and they're feeling particularly chivalrous.