Supplemental Oxygen

Supplemental oxygen is extra oxygen breathed through nasal tubing or a mask, from a concentrator or tank, when the lungs cannot keep blood oxygen at a safe level. It is common in advanced asbestosis and in mesothelioma and lung cancer, and is prescribed by a doctor based on measured oxygen levels.

Origin

Oxygen has been used in medicine since the late 1800s. Long-term home oxygen became standard for people with chronically low oxygen after two trials around 1980 showed it lengthened survival in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Doctors usually prescribe oxygen when oxygen saturation is 88 percent or lower, at rest, during exercise or during sleep; Medicare and most insurers use similar thresholds. In asbestosis, oxygen may first be needed only with exertion and later at rest. Oxygen does not reverse lung damage, but it can ease strain on the heart, improve exercise ability and help sleep. It also changes daily life: tubing, tanks, travel planning and fire safety, with no smoking or open flame nearby. For a claim, an oxygen prescription is clear, objective evidence of impairment. The prescriptions, the saturation readings behind them, equipment bills, and the limits oxygen places on work, travel and household tasks help document economic and noneconomic losses, and a family member's description of the change can be powerful testimony.

Example Sentence

Her walk test showed her oxygen saturation falling to 85 percent, so her pulmonologist prescribed supplemental oxygen at two liters per minute with exertion.

Related Terms

Oxygen Saturation, Hypoxia, Six-Minute Walk Test, Asbestosis, Cor Pulmonale, Dyspnea, Economic Damages, Noneconomic Damages

Notes

• Keep the oxygen prescription, the saturation readings that supported it, and equipment bills.
• Never smoke or allow open flames near oxygen equipment.
• A simple diary of what you can no longer do without oxygen helps your doctor, and later your lawyer.