Precision and accuracy of flowmeters used in oxygen therapy

• Grant number: 14/20262-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: José Roberto de Brito Jardim
• Grantee: José Roberto de Brito Jardim
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Amanda Cristina Raposo Pagliocchi ; Josy Davidson Okida Vieira ; Mariana Rodrigues Gazzotti ; Oliver Augusto Nascimento

Abstract

Oxygen therapy is widely used as therapy to hypoxic adult and/or pediatric patients in both environment, hospital and at home. To establish the appropriate level of oxygen concentration, a flow meter is connected to the gas wall outlet or a cylinder and gas flow is tritated according to the level of patient´s oxygenation. However, in a recent study, we found that the flow meters used in Brazil are somewhat accurate (Davidson et al, 2012), but there are no reports of precision and accuracy of flowmeters from other countries. (AU)