Medical Oxygen
PL 15929/0005 - Oct 2012 - revised
Medical Oxygen
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start to use this medicine.
• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have further questions, please ask your doctor or your pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you personally and you should not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
In this leaflet:
1. What Medical Oxygen is and what it is used for.
2. Before you use Medical Oxygen.
3. How to use Medical Oxygen.
4. Possible side effects.
5. Storing Medical Oxygen.
The name of your medicine is Medical Oxygen. Medical Oxygen is supplied as a pure gas containing only oxygen. It does not contain any other ingredients.
1. What is Medical Oxygen and what it is used for:
Medical Oxygen is an inhalation gas (a gas that is breathed in). It is colourless, odourless and tasteless. It is supplied in a pressurised gas cylinder with a valve to control the outflow of the gas. The gas cylinder contains only oxygen
Oxygen is essential for life. Oxygen breathed in with air goes into your lungs where it is taken into your blood. The blood carries the oxygen to all your body tissues. The tissues take the oxygen from the blood so that they can work properly.
If, for any reason, you are not getting enough oxygen into your blood from your lungs you may be given Medical Oxygen to breathe to increase the level of oxygen in your body tissues. You will be able to breathe more easily.
Medical Oxygen is used when you are not getting enough oxygen into your body through the lungs due to lung disease or damage or when you have breathing difficulties.
Your baby may be given oxygen if born prematurely or having breathing problems.
It is used in the treatment of cluster headaches and other conditions where localised blood supply is poor.
It is used with anaesthetics during surgery and for artificial ventilation in intensive care after surgery or following an accident.
It is used as a propellant for inhaling other medicines in nebuliser treatment.
It may be used in pressure chambers to reduce the risk of damage as a result of gas bubbles in the blood vessels or if there is gas trapped in body spaces. When the oxygen carrying ability of the blood is reduced, such as in the case of severe carbon monoxide poisoning. It may also be used as part of the treatment of gas gangrene (damage to soft tissue caused by bacterial infection)
2. Before you use Medical Oxygen
Do not smoke or allow those near you to smoke during treatment with Medical Oxygen. Oxygen helps things burn. Oxygen can cling to fabrics. Smoking during oxygen treatment has proved fatal (due to fire and burns) to more than one patient.
Do not allow naked flames near you when you are using your Medical Oxygen.
Unless specially advised to by your doctor to do so, do not use Medical Oxygen:
• If you are taking or have recently taken amiodarone
• If you are taking or have recently taken bleomycin (a drug for cancer)
• If you have chronic severe airways disease.
Take special care with Medical Oxygen
If you suffer from a chronic lung disease you should only receive a carefully monitored dose of Medical Oxygen - Carefully follow your doctor’s instructions.
If Medical Oxygen is being used for a premature infant, the infant should only receive a carefully monitored dose of oxygen. - Carefully follow the doctor’s instructions
Although Medical Oxygen may be necessary for the treatment of patients with lung damage due to poisons such as paraquat, it may worsen the lung injury.
A slowing down in your breathing caused by drinking alcohol may be made worse by the use of Medical Oxygen
Pregnancy
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Medical Oxygen can be used if you are pregnant.
Breast-feeding
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Medical Oxygen can be used if you are breast- feeding.
Driving and using machines:
The use of Medical Oxygen will not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
If you are using oxygen continuously your doctor should assess your ability to drive and you are advised to notify your insurance company. If you take your Medical Oxygen into your workplace you should advise your local health and safety officer so that all required safety precautions can be taken.
Using other medicines:
Interactions with other medicines are unlikely when Medical Oxygen in used as directed.
Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken any other medicine - even those not prescribed.
3. How to use Medical Oxygen:
Always follow the instructions given to you by your doctor. Do not stop treatment or change your treatment without consulting your doctor first.
You will normally use Medical Oxygen by breathing the gas in through nasal prongs or through a mask. The nasal prongs or mask are connected to the Medical Oxygen via specialised equipment that you will be supplied with.
Only use the equipment supplied to you for use with your Medical Oxygen
All equipment used with the Medical Oxygen should be kept clean and dry. Do not use oil or grease on any equipment that is used with Medical Oxygen.
Your doctor or nurse will decide how much Medical Oxygen you need.
Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment with Medical Oxygen will last.
If you forgot to use Medical Oxygen
Take your Medical Oxygen as soon as you remember, do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten treatment.
If you use more Medical Oxygen than you should:
If you may have used more Medical Oxygen than you should, talk to a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.
It is very unlikely that an overdose will occur.
Using 100% oxygen continuously for more than a day may produce chest pain, a dry cough and may also cause breathlessness. Such a concentration is only likely to be achieved using specialised hospital equipment.
If you feel dizzy or light-headed when using oxygen, either reduce the amount you are breathing in or preferably stop the treatment for a while. These effects will then wear off and you can then start therapy again if it is necessary.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines Medical Oxygen can have side effects.
If Medical Oxygen is used at high concentration (greater than 40%) for a prolonged period of time (more than 2 days) then lung damage can occur. Symptoms of lung damage include shortness of breath and chest discomfort.
In newborn and premature infants treatment with oxygen at concentrations over 40% can damage eye sight and may be associated with damage to other organs. These conditions have more than one cause and can occur even in the absence of oxygen therapy.
If you receive Medical Oxygen in a pressure chamber (hyperbaric oxygen treatment), you can suffer from ruptured ear drums, sinus pain, passing muscle pain. This treatment can also have effects on the central nervous system, which could lead to feeling sick, dizziness, agitation, confusion, muscle twitching, unconsciousness and epileptic fits. The higher the pressure within the chamber the earlier these symptoms will be seen.
If you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet please inform your doctor or your pharmacist.
5. Storage of Medical oxygen
The colour of Medical Oxygen cylinders in the UK is in a period of change.
The colour coding of the shoulder of Medical Oxygen is white. The body of the cylinder will be either black or white.
The aim is to complete a period of change over from the black body to the white bodied cylinder. The shoulder colour of the cylinder will remain as white. This period of change will be completed by January 1st 2026.
• Keep Medical Oxygen out of the reach and sight of children.
• Do not smoke where Medical Oxygen is stored.
Medical Oxygen containers should be stored:
• in a well ventilated place,
• under cover
• kept clean and dry.
• where they will not be exposed to extremes of temperature.
Return any used cylinders to Air Liquide.
Use by date
Do not use Medical Oxygen after the expiry date on the label.
The Marketing Authorisation Holder for Medical Oxygen is Air Liquide Limited, Station Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, West Midlands, B46 1JY
Medical Oxygen is manufactured by Air Liquide in the UK.