IPF, Oxygen, and You.
Erich Barischoff RRT
Living With IPF
How IPF Affects You

IPF Affects Oxygenation by decreasing
Oxygen movement into the blood stream
from your lungs.
Living With IPF
How IPF Affects You
This Increases your work of breathing
which can cause:
 Shortness of breath
 Increased Heart rate
 Discomfort, Anxiety and Decreased
activity

Living With IPF
How IPF Affects You

In the long term this Lack of Oxygenation
has been shown to decrease life span by
making your heart work too hard.
Living With IPF
Need Oxygen?


To determine your need for Oxygen, An Arterial
Blood Gas or ABG may be taken to determine
the amount of Oxygen in your blood. This
requires a small amount of blood be drawn,
usually from your wrist area.
Benefit: Usually very accurate.
Living With IPF
Need Oxygen?

A non-invasive alternative is the pulse
oximeter, this device uses a beam of light
to detect oxygen content in your blood.
Benefits include:
 Non-Invasive (no needle-stick).
 Being able to check it yourself at home.
Living With IPF
Need Oxygen?
Able to get “real time” readings.
 Able to do measurements while asleep or
exercising.

Living With IPF
Supplemental O2

Supports Increased Blood Oxygenation
by increasing the pressure across the
alveolar membrane
Living With IPF
Supplemental O2
Can decrease your shortness of breath
especially with exercise.
 Can increase your activity, Improve your
quality of life.
 Increase life span by decreasing the work
your heart is doing, and providing your
body with adequate Oxygen.

Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy
Compressed Gas:
Can provide high liter flow, 10-12 liters
per minute.
 Small cylinders (E) are portable but not
very convenient.
 E cylinders provide only a few hours at 2-3
liters per minute.

Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy

Compressed gas can take up considerable
space to store
Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy
Oxygen Concentrators:
Provide 1-5 liters per minute of flow
 Provide 93-96% Oxygen
 Adequate for home use, not portable

Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy
Requires a back-up source in the event of an
electrical outage. (i.e. compressed gas)
Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy
Liquid Oxygen Systems:
Provides 1-6 liters per minute flow
 High Oxygen support in smallest package
(Very portable)

Living With IPF
Oxygen Therapy

Will “run dry” even when not in use
Living With IPF
Liquid Oxygen
Oxygen Therapy
“Pulse Dose” or Oxygen conserving
systems.
Uses Liquid or Gas Oxygen.
 Very portable.
 Conserves Oxygen.
 Can be limiting if patient is breathing
faster than machine capability.

Living With IPF
Oxygen Savers
Living With IPF
Nasal Cannula
Common
Reservoir
The Oxygen Bar
IPF, Oxygen, and You
Oxygen Therapy:
Can increase your Quality of Life by
decreasing shortness of breath and
increasing level of activity
 Can provide support for travel!
 Can increase your life span by decreasing
the work of your heart (and other organs)

Living With IPF
Information Available Via WWW
 www.homeoxygen.org
 www.lungusa.org
 www.aarc.org
Living With IPF