Planning your next vacation may seem a little cumbersome if you are like many other oxygen patients and require a high flow rate, 4 liters per minute(LPM) at rest and up to 6 LPM during more rigorous activities.
When traveling you will need to have a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator. What are my options you may be wondering? Here are a few things to take into account when planning on traveling if you are a high flow oxygen patient.
Avoid Pulse Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators deliver oxygen in a bolus dose, therefore it is not delivering a continuous flow of oxygen. If you require a continuous flow but are using a pulse flow concentrator then there is a chance you will over breathe the concentrators capacity. This is done when you are taking more breaths in a minute than the pulse flow concentrator can produce, thus producing a weak or zero dose at all.
When you are looking at a pulse flow portable oxygen concentrator be sure to note that a setting of 5 on pulse, does not equal 5 liters per minute continuous. A pulse dose concentrator measures its oxygen output in milliliters, and not liters per minute.
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Follow your Oxygen Prescription
When shopping for a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator size, weight, and dimensions may be a huge selling point for you, which is great, however the main focus and priority is selecting the optimal machine for your health based upon your oxygen prescription. When traveling especially, you need to be sure that your portable oxygen concentrator has enough oxygen reserves for times of an exacerbation or increased breathlessness. Talk with your doctor about your traveling plans and ask what concentrator he/she recommends. For expedited travel the SeQual eQuinox portable oxygen concentrator is both lightweight and fully customizable in the sense that patients have 2 battery options. The 12 cell is for the oxygen patient that wants less weight, while the 24 cell battery is for the oxygen patient that is okay with adding a little additional weight in return for extended battery life.
Rent It Before you Buy It
Purchasing a portable oxygen concentrator is a big commitment and purchase, especially if you are living on a fixed income. Which is why we offer our patients many of our portable oxygen concentrators to rent such as the Respironics SimplyGo, therefore you can rent the unit for the duration of your trip to try it out and see if it is the right concentrator for you. If at any time during the rental period you decide you want to purchase the unit, then we will automatically credit the first weeks rental fee towards the overall purchase. If at any time you are not satisfied with the concentrator then simply send it back, hassle free!
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