Medical-grade oxygen contains a high enough oxygen purity to treat conditions that lower blood-oxygen levels. The oxygen purity level is determined by the amount of other gases mixed with the oxygen. And although we breathe oxygen from the air around us, we only breathe about 21% oxygen. Air also contains about 78% nitrogen and a small percentage of other gases.
For people with healthy lungs, 21% oxygen is sufficient. However, certain medical conditions, like COPD, Covid-19, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, and other diseases, cause low blood oxygen levels, known as hypoxemia. When blood oxygen levels become low, the body can’t provide enough oxygen to keep the organs and tissues functioning correctly; in medical terms, this is called hypoxia.
Healthcare providers treat hypoxia with supplemental medical-grade oxygen to ensure your organs and tissues get enough to function.
If the air contains oxygen, why do you need a prescription?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers medical-grade oxygen a drug. Like any drug, too much or too little oxygen causes detrimental health effects. For this reason, your healthcare provider must evaluate your supplemental oxygen needs and write you a prescription. You also need a prescription for oxygen-related medical devices, like oxygen concentrators. Obtaining a prescription for your oxygen device ensures your oxygen is safe.
What are the other grades of oxygen?
Not all oxygen grades contain the same purity levels as medical-grade oxygen. The Compression Gas Association (CGA) has identified seven oxygen grades; Oxygen grades are categorized from A through G, each determining a different oxygen purity level.
Oxygen may also be designated as USP, meaning it has been certified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), an organization that sets standards for healthcare products. Nearly all oxygen produced in plants currently meets USP requirements. But it’s the oxygen purity and the way the oxygen cylinders are filled that differentiate oxygen grades.
There are different grades of oxygen used for welding, research, aviation, and medical industries.
Welding Oxygen
Welding oxygen, somewhat less pure than medical grade, aids in producing heat or becomes an additive to aid in the stability of the process. While in use, other contaminants, such as acetylene, may enter the oxygen cylinder. If acetylene is present, the cylinder is cleaned and filled with oxygen. Cylinders labeled medical oxygen must be evacuated before refilling.
Aviation Breathing Oxygen
Aviation breathing oxygen (ABO) has strict regulations and cannot be substituted for medical or industrial-grade oxygen. This Grade E oxygen, also called aviator’s grade, must undergo additional drying steps before going into a cylinder.
Research-Grade Oxygen
Research-grade oxygen, also called grade 5 oxygen, is 99.999% pure. Like ABO, this oxygen grade must undergo additional drying steps before entering a cylinder.
Medical-Grade Oxygen
Medical-grade oxygen is used in hospitals and classified as a drug. Therefore, it must meet the FDA’s requirements for compressed medical gas. The FDA requires that cylinders containing medical oxygen must always be evacuated entirely to minimize the risk of contamination. Failure to appropriately fill medical-grade cylinders could result in prosecution of the facility.
Additional Resources
- Why Do I Need a Prescription to Buy a Concentrator
- 11 Questions to Ask About Your Oxygen Prescription
Information on this page is for reference and educational purposes only. For more information about medical grade oxygen, talk to your doctor or primary care provider.
Updated: September 12, 2023
Published: June 20, 2018
Sources:
Kristina Diaz, RRT, is a health writer and registered respiratory therapist with over a decade of emergency and critical care experience. She earned respiratory care and journalism degrees in Michigan, where she was born and raised. She now resides in Florida, where she works as a full-time freelance writer and part-time respiratory therapist.
Kristina began her respiratory career in 2011 in Saginaw, Michigan. She now works in Lakeland, Florida, in one of the busiest emergency departments in the nation, treating people with various lung conditions, like COPD, asthma, and sleep apnea, among others. She maintains her Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification and is a member of the trauma team at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. Her favorite part of being a respiratory therapist is providing relief to people struggling to breathe.
Kristina began freelance health writing in 2014, and her work is published on multiple websites, including Philips Respironics, the American Sleep Association, the Sleep Doctor, and more. She writes about lung health, sleep disorders, nutrition, and other health-related topics. Since she was a child, she’s always wanted to write, and now she gets to combine her passion for writing with the knowledge obtained from her respiratory career.
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Kristina Diaz, RRThttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/kristina-diaz/
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Kristina Diaz, RRThttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/kristina-diaz/
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Kristina Diaz, RRThttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/kristina-diaz/
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Kristina Diaz, RRThttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/kristina-diaz/
I purchased a portable concentrator from you in about 2015. I provided you with a prescription. Is this prescription still good (it SHOULD be) if I needed another machine?
Once you have a prescription on file with us you will not need to provide a new one. Prescriptions for CPAP machines do however have an expiration date.
Does va insurance help with getting one of these
I strongly recommend calling your provider and talking with them to see what your coverage is. Because everyone has a different plan and type of coverage, I can’t speak to that.
My tank is empty and moved from Cali to ks so my Dr gave me script to get filled does that mean I can take my tank to a medical oxygen refill comp and just give them new script
We’d suggest calling the company beforehand to ensure that that would work.
Moreover, we’d like to introduce you to ‘Oxygen Concentrators’ which eliminates the needs of refilling heavy Oxygen Tanks. Please give us a call at (877) 644-4581 to learn more.
hi..can anyone recommend me the best digital purity test for medical oxygen? affordable but with quality…I’m from philippines. thank you
Details of medical inhalation gas cylinder contains details what indicates one liter per minute oxygen contains
need to get a POC.. Re. doctors prescription, do i need get a specific application from the Company I buy from or do doctors have specific guidelines.. thanks
Hello Marcelle, If you have the doctors prescription for oxygen therapy, we can help you get a machine that matches your prescription and needs. The information a doctor will provide you will include the frequency, the amount of oxygen and if you need it for all day, nighttime usage. Once your therapy needs are understood, the options of the different machines (portable, stationary) and the features (continuous flow or Pulse) can help select the right machine. Hope this helps.
I currently have an AirSep concentrator which is 5 or so years old. Can’t find anybody local that can service it. It goes in to alarm at sometimes, but starts again after re-set. Makes a spitting sound when it alarms and I have narrowed it down to the “muffler”, I think. It is a 5 litre model . I think I will be having to start using it more often as muy condition has worsened. I would rather own it than rent it. Am on Medicare (Humana Advantage), and wondering how it worked in case I need a new one. Probably will need a home unit as well as a portable unit. How does this work with medicare?
Medicare covers oxygen needs. However, usually, it provides a stationary oxygen concentrator or an oxygen tank as a portable solution. Please reach us out at 888-387-5914 and we can answer all the questions quickly.
There is a new product for sale in grocery stores called Boost Oxygen. It claims to be 95% pure Oxygen. How is this being sold legally in Utah? They claim it is not medical grade Oxygen.
Boost oxygen is classified as “aviators breathing oxygen” for recreational use, and as such has not been evaluated by the FDA nor can it claim to treat any medical condition.
We need a medical-grade oxygen generator and cylinder filling plant for two hospitals in Delhi.
Kindly send the specifications and the requirement of the accessories to set up in the hospital.
Hello Dr S, unfortunately, we do not ship oxygen concentrators internationally. Please contact manufacturers – Inogen, Respironics, or CAIRE directly.
I am trying to find out if a need an rx on file to obtain oxygen supplies such as tubing and cannulas, etc from a provider other than the one who furnished my oxygen concentrator
A prescription is not a requirement to purchase most supplies. Our Oxygen Specialist would be happy to help you out with your requirements. Please give us a call at (877) 644-4581.
Hi,
Are some oxygen concentrators designated as Medical Grade and or FDA approved? If so, should I verify that the one I purchase has one or both of those designations?
Thank you!
You can check that information with your vendor. However, if your oxygen concentrator is not able to keep up your blood oxygen saturation, please contact your healthcare provider.