A Patient’s Perspective of the Invacare Solo

by Roxlyn G. Cole

Last fall I was loaned Invacare’s New Solo 2 Portable Oxygen Concentrator by American Medical Sales and Repair. This concentrator has continuous flow oxygen 1- 3 LPM + pulse dose oxygen # 1-5. Last fall I was loaned this POC by American Medical Sales and Repair.

I love the Solo 2 manual because it explains everything; it points out notes one MUST observe. It is a long 51 pages covering everything you could want to know. I wish it was a bit smaller for carrying along while out and about, there are so many alarms/sounds to remember. First impression: it is big! BUT, the larger the size the better options to oxygenate the patient, so it is beautiful! The frosted window screen was difficult for me to read, but maybe that was because of my cataracts.
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Quality Never Goes Out of Style! The Eclipse 3 is DURABLE!

A patient forgot to load his Eclipse into the car and backed out of the garage. The patient drove all the way down the street with the Eclipse being dragged behind the front tire. He also flattened the accessory bag, which broke the faceplate off of the extra battery.

When he brought the Eclipse into the provider to be repaired, the Eclipse was still working just FINE! Look at the picture!!

Sequal Eclipse

My Journey with COPD: Advocacy and Empowerment

My Journey with COPD: Advocacy and Empowerment
by Edna Fiore

Dr. Thomas L. Petty began a concerted effort to promote COPD awareness and advocacy in the mid 1990s. His initial emphasis was on the education of the professional community about the importance of spirometry testing as a routine part of medical examinations and the education of both the general public and professional community about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His initial efforts culminated in the first U.S. COPD Coalition National Conference in 2003. I had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Tom beginning in 2004. My journey in the cause for COPD awareness has been exciting and rewarding in innumerable ways.

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Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, or BPD, is a condition unique to newborn premature infants who were born before their lungs were fully developed. Because of the immaturity of the lungs, they struggle to get oxygen to their bodies and their lungs become inflamed and scarred from the effort.

BPD can cause coughing, wheezing, and rapid shallow breathing. All these signs indicate the child is struggling to maintain oxygen levels. Reduced oxygen levels will lead to blue coloring around the mouth and fingertips.

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A Comparative Pilot Study of Three Portable Oxygen Concentrators

A Comparative Pilot Study of the Efficacy of Three Portable Oxygen Concentrators during a 6-minute Walk Test in Patients with Chronic Lung Disease.

Rationale: While use of portable oxygen concentrators (POC) is likely to increase, research is limited on the ability of POC’s to maintain oxygen saturation ≥ 90% during exercise.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of 3 POC’s, with the highest O2 capacity in maintaining exertional O2 saturations ≥ 90% in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF).

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What is Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia?

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects the lungs of many premature infants. These are infants who were born dangerously premature, over 10 weeks before they were due to be born.

The lungs in such tiny newborns are not fully ready to oxygenate the body. Their lungs are delicate, thin, and poorly developed. BPD is the condition of inflammation and scarring in the lungs of these premature infants. It makes it difficult or even impossible for them to oxygenate their little bodies without help.

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Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis, often caused by RSV and seen more often in children and infants, can be confused at times with other problems of the lungs. Therefore, understanding the symptoms of bronchiolitis can be imperative to saving the life of someone who contracts it.

Wheezing is one of the initial signs of bronchiolitis, in addition to a wheezy cough. This condition is usually referred to by ER doctors as a “stridor.” The child will also likely be lethargic.

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What is Bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis is a condition of the bronchioles, the small airways in the lungs. It is an inflammation of these bronchioles generally caused by viral infections such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Bronchiolitis can be serious in infants, though in children and adults it is generally a milder condition. When it is severe in children and adults, however, it can lead to hospitalization. In fact, each year in the U.S. many hospitalizations occur due to bronchiolitis.

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Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

Last month, we discussed the “ins” and “outs” of traveling with oxygen by automobile. What about air travel? Is it possible to travel by air these days when requiring oxygen? You bet!

There are several steps involved when bringing oxygen on board an airline. First and foremost, always contact your physician to make sure that he or she feels that you should be taking a trip.

Once you get your doctor’s verbal OK, there are two important written things that you will need from your doctor in order to travel by air: an oxygen prescription and an airline approved “Physician Statement. “ The prescription is for a company, such as American Medical Sales & Repair, that will be providing a Portable Oxygen Concentrator rental; the Physician Statement is for the airline and must be either an actual airline form or on physician’s letterhead. The airlines have different polices regarding this form, so you must check with each carrier on your itinerary!

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Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchiectasis

The symptoms of bronchiectasis are indicative of the condition of excess mucus buildup in the lungs, and infections caused by that buildup. Coughing is a common symptom that tends to get worse when the individual is lying down.

Chest pain is also experienced by many who have this condition, as well as abnormal sounds in the chest. Generally, people with bronchiectasis will cough up large amounts of phlegm. Shortness of breath is another sign.

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