Servicing Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) are designed to be durable and able to withstand the rigors of daily use, but like other products with moving parts and electronic components, POCs are susceptible to malfunction due to regular use and abuse. Common causes of POC performance issues include contamination of…
Respiratory News A University of Eastern Finland study showed that low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for pneumonia. The risk of contracting pneumonia was more than twoandahalf times greater in people with the lowest vitamin D levels than in those with high vitamin D levels.. New research from St. Michael’s Hospital…
Keep Your Eye on the Weather! A recent study in the American Journal of Critical Care Medicine reported there was a 4.3% increase in hospital admissions for respiratory problems for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit rise in mean daily summer temperatures from 1999 through 2008. Lightweight, lightcolored and loosefitting clothes are best to wear…
Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Home Pulmonary rehabilitation has the potential to signi ficantly improve the lives of those with COPD but not everyone is able to attend a formal program at a hospital or other facility. Researchers in China showed participants experienced significant relief in difficult breathing after 12 weeks of homebased pulmonary rehabilitation…
Physical Exams Yield Important Information about Your Health Let’s Get Physical! Who hasn’t had either a routine annual physical exam or perhaps had a hospital admission where a physician did not perform at least a brief “history and physical”? The answer in most of the civilized world is virtually no one! Hippocrates practiced medicine…
Respiratory News The following study results were presented at the Amer- ican Thoracic Society 2013 International Conference: Inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta2 agonist therapy significantly slows the progressive lung func- tion decline of Fluticasone proprionate plus salmeterol (Advair) reduced the decline in forced expiratory volume by 16 mL per year, according to results of the…
Travel News Batteries Are Key to a Great Vacation Trip A problem-free vacation with a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) is all about the batteries! As batteries get older, they will not hold their charge as long as they did when new. Please make sure you test all the batteries you plan on taking before you…
Fibrosis File Study Suggests New Strategies for Understanding and Treating Pulmonary Fibrosis A study of more than 6,000 people has identified seven new genetic factors associated with pulmonary fibrosis. In findings published in Nature Genetics, researchers at National Jewish Health, the University of Colorado and several other institutions found a number of genes which provide…
Calling Dr. Bauer … Oximeter Facts Oxygen is carried in the blood on hemoglobin. A pulse oximeter calculates the percentage of oxygen that is attached to the hemoglobin with an accuracy between 1% and 3%. Factors that can affect readings: Poor circulation to the hands Excessive motion Blue or green nail polish Weak or…
Find out the Facts before Choosing a Portable Oxygen Concentrator: The Pulmonary Paper’s Annual POC Review Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) are still a relatively new addition to the family of home oxygen therapy equipment. The first modern small-form POC was released in the early 2000s – AirSep’s LifeStyle was a 10-pound, pulse-only device with a…