Gas 'er up, doc! A quick inventory of gases commonly used in the medical industry

摘要

For those of us not working directly in the medical/healthcare industry, we may be surprised at the number and variety of common medical gases and their applications. Family Feud or not, I am guessing that if you polled 100 people on common medical gases, the number one response would be "oxygen." Liquid oxygen boils at -297.3℉ (-183°C). Some patients require supplemental oxygen to increase the O_2 level in their blood. Hospitals usually have large cryogenic bulk storage tanks full of liquid O_2, which is then vaporized and warmed and piped into the hospitals as oxygen "gas." Some patients use oxygen from high-pressure gas cylinders. Still others use electric or battery-powered units to boost the amount of oxygen they breathe. One must be careful of fire hazards around oxygen.