What Oxygen Source Does Your Veterinary Hospital Utilize: Concentrator-Generated, Cylinder-Stored, or Piped Oxygen?
Have you ever thought about what works best in your veterinary hospital?
Have you become accustomed to switching small oxygen cylinders on the regular, hoofing them about the practice, trying not to think too hard about what may result from one dropped on the ground?
Well, there are alternatives out there. So, if you’re rethinking how your practice should deliver oxygen to patients, read on; we’ve collated the pros and cons of each system so that you can make an educated judgment call for you and your colleagues.
Oxygen Cylinders for Veterinary Hospitals
One of the most traditional methods of oxygen storage and delivery within the veterinary hospital or clinic is through the use of oxygen cylinders, particularly the smaller ones designed to attach to individual anesthetic machines.
The patient caseload determines the lifespan of these cylinders, ranging from one to a few days before necessitating replacement.
However, the replacement process not only adds to the workload of the veterinary team but also poses potential dangers associated with handling and moving compressed gas.
It is crucial to equip staff with purpose-designed trolleys for safely transporting these cylinders. In the event of a drop and subsequent damage, a compressed gas leak could literally blow a hole in the operating theatre wall.
Effective administration is essential for managing small oxygen cylinders, ensuring that spares are consistently available. Ideally, anesthetic machines should feature two docks, allowing for a seamless transition from one cylinder to the next when needed.
Human error is a potential concern in this system, requiring accurate labeling of cylinders as "full," "in use," or "empty." Prompt replacement of empty cylinders is vital to maintaining a state of preparedness. Additionally, robust ordering processes must be in place to prevent running out of this critical veterinary consumable.
Considerations also extend to the cost of cylinder rental, contributing to the overall expenses of operating a veterinary practice, subsequently reflected in client bills.
Despite these challenges, there are positive aspects to using oxygen cylinders in veterinary care.
Purpose-built, portable anesthetic tables with small cylinders enable uninterrupted anesthesia for patients in transit.
Moreover, in the event of a power outage, anesthetic machines continue to function, with many modern devices equipped to be powered by compressed gas through mini-Schrader sockets during emergencies.
Piped oxygen for veterinary hospitals
Piped gas is sleek in appearance, giving a professional and ‘thought-out’ look to a clinic.
Gas outlets (sockets, usually Shrader-type) are placed at convenient spots around the practice (for example at prep room and theatre anesthetic stations, and near oxygen kennels inwards).
Hoses are secured into these outlets, extending into the room to attach to anesthetic machines.
The wall outlets are fed from an oxygen distribution line that extends outside and connects to an oxygen source, most commonly bulk supply oxygen cylinders.
These large oxygen cylinders are generally situated externally to the practice, making for convenient replenishment of supplies since gas delivery companies can be given a key or combination to a safety gas storage ‘cage’.
Oxygen concentrators can also be purchased as an alternative to bulk gas cylinders, the associated money-saving of which could well offset the cost of having a piped system installed.
Veterinary piped oxygen tends to utilize flexible hosing for the transportation of the gas throughout the building.
These hoses are not only easy to fit retrospectively (and can therefore be fitted to existing veterinary practice fabric, not just new builds), but also allow amendments and changes to be made over time.
Veterinary practices tend not to be static entities; they grow and develop to meet the ever-changing and developing needs of pet owners, so having the ability to easily add to and amend facilities is extremely useful.
It is overall a flexible system that can be tweaked as necessary to suit the individual practice.
The list of benefits of piped gas is short but important. Many practices find piped gas to be the best option simply for the level of convenience and safety for staff; it reduces or even eradicates the number of cylinder changes compared to traditional small gas cylinders.
Even where large cylinders are used, changing empty cylinders is quick and simple since they do not need to be moved.
The downside is, of course, that the cylinder still needs to be replaced periodically. In some very cold climates, there may be a risk of the connections freezing in mid-winter – but this can easily be mitigated with good design.
Oxygen concentrators play a vital role in the operations of a veterinary hospital or clinic.
They serve as ingenious devices that harness air as a natural resource to generate medical-grade oxygen.
Functioning by extracting air from the surroundings, these concentrators meticulously filter out elements like nitrogen, producing purified oxygen readily available for patients around the clock.
Available in various sizes, they cater to diverse needs, ranging from individual anesthetic stations to comprehensive applications that serve an entire veterinary practice through a piped gas delivery system.
This method of oxygen generation proves highly convenient, requiring minimal intervention once the equipment is activated.
Veterinary practices stand to benefit in two significant ways: firstly, for environmentally conscious practices, the use of concentrators helps diminish their ecological footprint by reducing the need for oxygen delivery vans on the road.
Secondly, there's a substantial cost-saving advantage, potentially cutting gas bills by up to 90%. It is advisable, however, to maintain a spare oxygen cylinder as a precaution in case of equipment failure.
In summary, the cost-effectiveness of utilizing an oxygen concentrator in conjunction with a piped gas system makes it a valuable investment for veterinary hospitals, regardless of their size.
This holds particularly true for mid to large-sized practices, where the financial advantages are substantial.
Moreover, the convenience offered by these systems contributes to enhanced staff morale.
Even in smaller veterinary practices where the installation of a piped gas system might not be financially justifiable, the adoption of one or more compact concentrators can prove advantageous not only in terms of finances but also in promoting staff well-being and environmental considerations.
