Four questions we ask
- How many litres per minute?
- How many hours a day — continuously, or only when asleep or moving?
- By nasal cannula, mask or another device?
- How long can the patient manage without it?
Calculating duration
The oxygen needed is flow rate multiplied by total time — and total time includes getting from the room to the vehicle, the road, a traffic margin, waiting for handover and any time spent at hospital before a return. A safety margin is added on top.
The patient’s own device
Home concentrators run on mains power and most are not portable, so the ambulance’s system is used on the road. Bring a portable concentrator or small cylinder if there is one. At the destination, a working device must be ready before the patient arrives.
The most sensitive moments are the switch-overs between sources. On journeys over an hour, such as Çorlu – Edirne, the calculation is done with extra care. Patients on a ventilator, BPAP or CPAP need a more equipped vehicle and an experienced crew. See private ambulance.