Page 1 of 15 Oxygen Concentrator Purchase Suggestions for COVID-19 INDIA MAY 2021 An Appeal to Importers to Import the Useful Models Feedback & suggestions Page 2 of 15 Introduction This is a document meant to help people with purchasing decisions of oxygen concentrators during the pandemic. It aims to collect and compile crowdsourced information from various sources. I have collated this information, not authored it. Quick summary: Read this if you are in a hurry and want to know what to buy Ideally, the oxygen concentrator should not be less than 15kg – the lightweight ones cannot provide oxygen at the required purity and required flow rate for covid survivors with moderate to high dependency on oxygen. More suitable for Covid-19 cases Model Numbers with reference links to possible purchase locations online. • M3C-5W • JAY-10 • MSLZY34 • XY-6 • OLV-5A • OLV-8A • OLV-10A Page 3 of 15 Page 4 of 15 Page 5 of 15 Page 6 of 15 Page 7 of 15 Page 8 of 15 Less ideal for Covid-19 cases Disclaimer: I personally purchased one because there was no other option and it did provide the patient a little bit of relief. But I would be foolish if I was to think that this is an ideal solution. As of writing on 2nd May 2021, concentrators are very difficult to get even in Delhi - if you have no other option, buy these – they may save your patient’s life but do keep your eyes open for other options. Page 9 of 15 Page 10 of 15 Page 11 of 15 Page 12 of 15 Page 13 of 15 Page 14 of 15 Whatsapp Forward on choosing an Oxygen Concentrator sharing what i’ve researched/understood (please add to it if my info is incomplete) 1. everyone is looking for an oxygen concentrator - please ensure:- i. flow rate. should be high. 10L is good. ii. concentration comes of two types - 30-90 +/- 3% OR 90% +/-3%. the first one means that as flow goes up, concentration of o2 goes down. so at 10 ltr flow, the concentration will be 30%. which is 3 ltr flow. don't get that! iii. certifications are important. so we want to get 90% plus/minus 3% 90% +/- 3%. not 30-90%! 2. the dedakj concentrators are pretty crappy - the ones that work are philips or airsep. even with philips - don’t buy a 3 ltr - it’s useless. philips 5 ltr is the thing that works (100 hrs of use would require a filter change). 3. us oxygen concentrators are set up for 110V - you will need a transformer to step it to 230V. 4. tips on selecting the right oxygen concentrator the most important is to understand covid patients require 90% oxygen concentration at 1 to 5 ltr flow and above to 10 ltr when they are suffering with acute respiratory discomfort. 90% oxygen concentration is the most important point here. a. we can break down oxygen concentrator into small (5 to 10 kg) oxygen concentrator suitable for copd patients, medium (15 to 19 kg) and large (20 kg and above) oxygen concentrators are suitable for critical care and for covid patients. b. small oxygen concentrators can have options from 1 ltr to 9 ltr flow but this does not mean you get 90% oxygen at higher flow like at 5 ltr. on small oxygen concentrators, 90% oxygen concentration is achieved only at lower flows of 1 ltr to 2 ltr. on higher flows, the oxygen concentration drops to 30% as you increase the flow. suitable for copd patients but not for covid patients. c. check the specs of the oxygen concentrator and if you see 90% - 30% or (1 l/min , 2 l/min) means 90% oxygen is available only at 1 ltr flow or 2 ltr flow respectively and on higher flows oxygen drops to 30%. the air we r breathing is with 21% oxygen. so small (5 kg to 10 kg) oxygen concentrators at higher flows gives output of 30% oxygen means, its just blowing air. d. weight is the best indicator to understand the oxygen production capacity. a 5 kg to 10 kg oxygen concentrator means a small compressor which will only manage to give an output of 90% oxygen at 1 ltr to max 2 ltr. a 15kg to 19kg oxygen concentrator will have a compressor that can easily give an output of 90% oxygen at flows from 1 ltr to 5 ltr oxygen (ideal for covid and critical care patients) a 20 kg and above oxygen concentrator will have a large compressor which can give an output of 90% oxygen from 1 ltr to 10ltr flow. (ideal for covid & critical care patients and for dual patients to use same machine with accessories; b ware of x-infection). please do not only see the output flow of an oxygen concentrator like 5 ltr, 10 ltr and so on. the most important is to make sure you get 90% oxygen at highest flow level. for a small family with no senior citizens, a 5 ltr at 90% oxygen concentration should be good enough. for 2 senior citizens or for a big family 10 ltr at 90% oxygen concentration should be good enough as it can support 2 patients at once, if the need arises. and can assist senior citizens during home critical care if the need arises. please do not get fooled and pay big money for small oxygen concentrator sold by highlighting 5 ltr & 8 ltr and do not give an output of 90% concentration of oxygen at higher flows which is the need of the hour. please read the specs well and if required please ask your supplier to show you the oxygen output on an oxygen analyzer at higher flow of 5 ltr or 10 ltr. there’s a lot of misinformation and people are buying wrong things in desperation. hope this helps. Page 15 of 15 WHO Guidelines - Oxygen Sources & Distribution for Covid-19
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