Oxygen is a chemical element with symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the halogen group on the periodic table and is a highly reactive nonmetallic element and oxidizing agent that readily forms compounds with most elements. By mass, oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe,
Medical Oxygen Cylinder
Applications
Main article: Oxygen therapy Uptake of O2 from the air is the essential purpose of respiration, so oxygen supplementation is used in medicine. Treatment not only increases oxygen levels in the patient's blood, but has the secondary effect of decreasing resistance to blood flow in many types of diseased lungs, easing work load on the heart. Oxygen therapy is used to treat emphysema, pneumonia, some heart disorders (congestive heart failure), some disorders that cause increased pulmonary artery pressure, and any disease that impairs the body's ability to take up and use gaseous oxygen. Treatments are flexible enough to be used in hospitals, the patient's home,or increasingly by portable devices. Oxygen tents were once commonly used in oxygen supplementation, but have since been replaced mostly bythe use of oxygen masks or nasal cannulas.
