Every day patients rely on medical air. Whether it’s in an emergency room or an operating room, having this supply of pure, quality air can make a world of difference. You may be wondering, what is medical air and what makes it different from what we’re breathing now? Here is a brief look into medical air and its various uses.
Medical Air Defined
Used primarily in patient respiration, medical air (MA) refers to compressed air that is free of contaminates, odors and particles. It is utilized widely in hospitals and health care facilities as medical professionals rely on it to keep patients comfortable and facilitate safe breathing. MA differs from oxygen and ordinary air due to its level of purity and its nonflammability. What’s more, medical air USP (United States Pharmacopeia) is considered to be a manufactured drug.
Typically, MA is manufactured on-site with compressors and supplied through a local distribution system. The equipment is built with state-of-the-art components designed to compress, process and produce specialized air. It is also available in cylinders, which offer a more portable solution. Whichever method of delivery, the air must be dry in order to prevent water buildup and the system must be properly maintained. Otherwise, contaminated air could lead to serious health effects.
Common Uses
There are many uses for medical air in hospitals. It is essential in numerous respiratory therapies, aerosol treatments and for the breathing needs in patients with delicate or sensitive respiratory systems. Individuals with such medical issues often depend on a reliable supply of MA. Also, it is employed during anesthesia as a carrier gas for anesthetic agents.
MA is also used in ventilators and incubators to provide controlled airflow. This helps to reduce exposure to high concentrations of oxygen while supplying uncontaminated air. Such medical air purity is not only essential in protecting patient health and safety, but also in guarding against potential gas and fire hazards. Deleted this sentence as it does not meet the intent of the current NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code.
Let Evergreen Medical Services Supply Your Medical Air Needs
The importance of medical air in health care cannot go understated. Its purity and variety of uses help to save lives every day. To do so, it must be suitably tested to ensure cleanliness and dryness and it must meet the highest level of medical standards. Additionally, because medical air is considered a manufactured drug by the USP, the source equipment must be properly maintained and monitored per the manufacturer’s specifications.
Evergreen Medical Service can perform annual inspections of a facility’s medical gas pipeline as well as its components. Our comprehensive testing can identify and advise on any corrective actions. Additionally, we can perform preventative maintenance services and repairs to keep the system running at optimal performance.
We also offer online and self-paced training courses to help installers, inspectors, maintenance specialists and other personnel gain the proper certifications. Our ASSE compliant classes are designed to provide individuals with all of the knowledge they will need to ensure systems are functioning properly.
Please contact us today if you have any questions or want to learn more about what we have to offer!