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PORTABLE OXYGEN CYLINDER CHANGING LIVES
OF YORKSHIRE PATIENTS
16th February 2001 — A new portable oxygen
cylinder weighing only 3kg is revolutionising the lives
of medical oxygen users across Yorkshire by enabling them
to take part in everyday outdoor activities most of us take
for granted.
Patients in Yorkshire were the first in the UK to use the
PA2 (portable ambulatory), the lightest medical oxygen cylinder
available via the NHS. Its compact design allows it to be
carried in a backpack, meaning previously housebound users
can get involved in general outdoor pursuits such as walking,
gardening and sports.
Explaining the background, Tim MacLeod-Clarke, general
manager of Air Products-Medical Group, manufacturers of
the cylinder, said, "For decades, young and old patients
suffering from severe breathing problems caused by some
heart conditions, bronchitis or emphysema have been stuck
at home. It's only now that the home-based users of medical
oxygen in the UK are beginning to benefit from products
that are designed around the patient. They are as much about
improving quality of life as they are about sustaining life."
The PA2 cylinders are being introduced in stages and will
be available across the country over the next 12 months.
There are approximately 8,000 home-based medical oxygen
users in the Yorkshire and Humberside Oxygen Region* and
up to 40,000 in the UK.
Research conducted by the British Lung Foundation's 'Breathe
Easy' patient support groups of 219 long-term oxygen therapy
patients across the UK revealed that:
- 54% felt that visits to family and friends were restricted
by supply of home-based oxygen
- 44% were prevented from shopping
- 73% of the group considered that the availability of
a small lightweight cylinder would enable them to take
more exercise
Air Products–Medical Group is the fastest growing
medical gases business in Britain. Its Oxygen Therapy Division,
which caters for home-based users of medical gases currently,
operates in the South West of England, South Wales, Tyneside,
and Yorkshire. Over the next 12 months, the company will
be expanding into other regions in the UK.
Note: *The Yorkshire
and Humberside Oxygen Region is one of 11 NHS oxygen regions
in the UK. Each region is defined by number of concentrator
patients.
Key facts about the Yorkshire and Humberside
oxygen region:
- There are 1,800 concentrator users.
- There are approximately 6,200 cylinder patients in
the region.
- Patients in the region were the first to use the PA2
in the UK.
- It is now the leading area for PA2 use. For every three
traditional cylinder patients, there is a patient using
the PA2. This compares to 1 in 5 elsewhere in the UK.
- The average cylinder patients uses over 200 litres
of oxygen per year.
Key facts about the PA2, the lightest
medical oxygen cylinder available via the NHS:
- Weighs only 3.2kg when full.
- Can be worn for over 3 hours on shoulder or backpack.
- Delivers over 3 hours of oxygen per cylinder (at 2
litres per minute).
- Is available on prescription.
- Has a capacity of 429 litres (at 200 bar).
- Only 48 cm high (including valve).
- Is made from aluminium and wrapped in a composite fibre.
For background information, please see
The PA2—Changing
Lives for the Better.
Questions or comments about this news release may be directed
to George
Noon.
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