AARC Publishes Portable Oxygen Concentrator Guide

(June 25, 2013 Irving TX) The American Association for Respiratory Care announces the publication of a guide to portable oxygen concentrators (POC) that will be helpful to patients and clinicians alike.

A Guide to Portable Oxygen Concentrators  is written for patients, to help them have a better understanding of the capabilities and types of POCs on the market. The guide explains why POCs should be matched with each patient's specific needs. It also provides the layperson with an easy-to-understand explanation of the specific delivery types and the amount of oxygen delivered with each breath.

Especially informative for the consumer reader is the Points to Ponder introduction to the booklet. That narrative describes many useful tips for the user of POC systems and helps them evaluate and understand their needs in choosing an oxygen system, a choice that would be made in consultation with their physician and respiratory therapist.

The main portion of the booklet is devoted to tables on each manufacturer's device covering:

continuous or intermittent flow.

important characteristics for each device that are helpful to patients, such as weight and delivery setting values.

the oxygen delivered with each breath, either by fixed bolus volume or fixed minute volume (by selector settings)

and the oxygen purity at lowest and highest settings.

The guide was developed by surveying manufacturers of POC devices, and all current manufacturers of POC devices contributed. A group of respiratory therapists, composed of current and past Home Care Section chairmen and other respiratory therapist AARC members working in home care, developed the survey, collated the results, and reviewed the report.

We're proud of the report and the information this puts in the hands of consumers, said George Gaebler, AARC president. The information on the performance and characteristics of each POC will be a valuable reference to clinicians as well.

For more information on  A Guide to Portable Oxygen Concentrators, go to the AARC's patient website, YourLungHealth.org  for the document.

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About the AARC
The American Association for Respiratory Care is a 52,000 member professional association of respiratory care professionals. The organization is dedicated to encouraging and promoting professional excellence, advancing the science of respiratory care, and serving as an advocate for patients, their families and the public.

Further information about the AARC and how to become a respiratory therapist are available at www.AARC.org

Contact: Sherry Milligan
972-406-4656
milligan@aarc.org