50% or 80% O2 for first aid?

[Thalassamania]

The highest concentration available.

 

[KarolinaKid]

I once worked on a charter boat. A diver surfaced with a headache and wanted O2 so after she emtied the e cylinder of O2 all I had left was some 50%. I offered her that but she declined because she wasn't nitrox ceritified.

 

[John_B]

...In the Paramedic world we call people like that Oxygen Thieves or TSTL's (too stupid to live)

There is a big difference between stupid and ignorant. So much for taking advantage of a "teachable moment", huh?

 

[texdiveguy]

Last year, after a 200ft cave dive followed by several other dives, I discovered that my O2 bottle had been filled with 60% O2 and 5% Helium. There were no ill effect even though the dive was planned with 100% for deco.

Do you not as a pre-dive process persl. check your gas mixes to verify their content?? :shocked2:

To the OP: of your picks the 80EAN is a good move.

 

[BabyDuck]

though i guess that assumes the person isn't unconscious, since isn't the valve on an o2 bottle different for the face mask? so the person would have to be with-it enough to breathe through a reg, right? i know my baby's o2 bottles had different valves, so that's what i'm basing on.

though i bet that lady could change out the valve and not lose the contents in the bottle...what a dork.

 

[cutlass]

Better than nothing? Yes, assuming that the patient is able to breathe off a scuba regulator unassisted. Rates vary according to manufacturer but very roughly, 50% O2 would correspond to a simple mask or top Venturi mask running about 10 lpm and 13 lpm respectively. 80% O2 would roughly correspond to a non-rebreather mask running about 10+ lpm.

I would hope that there's been oxygen therapy training; e.g. understanding the difference between ventilation and oxygenation.