The oxygen administered to patients needs to be monitored to ensure the correct supply. This is done with the help of regulators, gauges and other components.

Oxygen regulators are used to lessen the high pressure in an oxygen cylinder to a lower pressure at which it is safe to administer oxygen to a patient. Oxygen can be administered directly or through a face mask. The pressure is regulated by keeping an eye on the gauges provided for monitoring the temperature.

Air Regulators are of different types like:-

a) Allied Laser Spectrum Regulator

b) Bull Nose Regulator

c) �??O’ Series Regulator

d) Flow Controllers

Air flow regulators also apply positive pressure on the patients to breathe at high altitudes and high G forces, thus eliminating the breathing problems experienced at high altitudes. Patients are already in a critical state and a breathing problem will only aggravate their condition. So this probability is also eliminated.

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Safety valves are provided so that waste matter does not reach the pump when the flask gets filled up.

It is an essential part of equipments carried in air ambulances. While bigger units directly run on power, these portable units used for emergency purpose runs on battery. These units are of two types: one with fixed vacuum level and other is with variable vacuum adjustment. Even these portable units are available which can be run mechanically in case there is no power available.

The manufacturer of one such mechanical suction units claim that it could be operated by one person. They claim the machine is easy to dismantle, clean, disinfect and reassemble and it is quite light weight, weighing only 2.3 Kgs. The battery powered ones are available in different designs in different price range ranging from $250 to $500.

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The process of ventilating a patient using a BVMR is generally called �??bagging’ the patient. It is a necessary procedure carried out in medical emergencies when the patient is breathing inadequately (respiratory failure) or stopped completely (respiratory arrest). Use of BVMR for mechanical ventilation is more preferred to than mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The equipment consists of a flexible air chamber about the size of a rugby ball attached to a face mask through a shutter valve. When the air chamber or the bag of the device gets squeezed, it forces air into the patient’s lungs. When the bag is released, it inflates by itself drawing air from the atmosphere or drawing oxygen at low pressure from an oxygen cylinder fitted with a regulator and the patient’s lungs deflates to the atmosphere through the one way valve.

This bag and valve combination may also be fitted with endo-tracheal tube instead of face mask. A filter may also be attached with to remove heat and moisture.

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These ambulances could be carrying patients who are unconscious. These patients may require the help of a medical device known as �??Oropharyngeal Airways’.

When patient becomes unconscious, their jaw muscles become relaxed, which might cause the tongue to obstruct the airway, obstructing breathing of the patient. Oropharyngeal airways prevent the tongue from covering Epiglottis (it covers the wind pipe during swallowing so that food does not enter the wind pipe) and thus keeps airway open for breathing.

These medical devices come in various sizes making it suitable for use from infants to adults. These devices are mostly used in emergency situations. That is why it is a medical device which an air ambulance must have.

This device is generally inserted by people who are trained in this line. Oropharyngeal airways are used where intubation is not available or not available. Also, this device could be fitted in unconscious patients while in conscious patients it may lead to vomiting. For conscious patients it is better to go for nasopharyngeal airways.

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They may require some relief immediately like supplying them oxygen to save their lives. To do so, intubation equipments are necessary. Generally, these intubation equipments are standard equipments carried in an air ambulance.

The term �??Intubation’ refers to inserting a flexible tube anywhere in human body. But, it is commonly identified with inserting tubes down the wind pipe of a person, which is known as �??Tracheal Intubation’.

This procedure is often carried out in emergency situations when a patient is having breathing difficulty. It keeps the airway open and allows administration of medicines (like anesthetics) and oxygen. Patients hooked to mechanical ventilators are also intubed so that the action of breathing could be carried out by the ventilator.

There are various types of tubes used for �??Tracheal Intubation’ for oral or nasal intubation. Tubes may be flexible or may be quite stiff and preformed. These tubes are generally made of silicone or flexible plastic.

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Oximetry, which is the science that deals with the study of light to measure the amount of oxygen carried in the blood dates back to the latter part of the nineteenth century. The pulse oximeters in use today are based on the invention of Dr. William New of Canada, in 1978.

Pulse Oximeter: A brief description: - A pulse oximeter is a non-invasive device that shows the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood. The normal acceptable range is 95-100. Most oximeters also display the heart rate. It is a small device which is held in the hand or has a crocodile clip which is attached to the patient’s finger.

Recently the pulse oximeter has also been used to detect blood loss.

ADVANTAGES Because they are very simple to operate and very portable they have found great use in emergency medical care. It is particularly of use to monitor the condition of patients with respiratory and cardiac problems. Battery operated pulse meters are beneficial in air ambulances and for pilots who fly aircraft with non-pressurized cabins at heights greater than 10,000 ft. Before the pulse oximeter was invented blood tests had to be conducted on patients embarking on high altitude flights.

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Moreover during times of national emergencies like floods, hurricanes and typhoons, it’s these air ambulances that come in handy instead of the those conventional ones.

One cannot deny that fact that even though these air ambulances prove expensive, still they render better and efficient services. More over because of its increasing importance, these air ambulances have become better equipped with the most recent technology.

Moreover it’s because of the immense carrying capacity that they posses, which make them more preferable than the usual ones.

There are several situations that may arise, which making an individual hire or make use of public air ambulances. Like that of floods or hurricanes, that may take place in one state sparing the other. So in such times it might not be possible to use public air ambulances or a public medical aircraft. Its then the private air ambulances that come to your rescue. So this has been the main reason, which has lead to the ever increasing popularity of private air ambulances.

Private ambulances are mostly owned by reputed hospitals and medical institutions. Many reputed and wealthy NGO’s also own some of these private air ambulances. These private ambulances can provide all types of medical services that are similar to those of the conventional ambulances. Some air ambulances can provide all kinds of medical facilities, which the customary ambulances fail to.

Not only do the medical hospitals and institutions provide these ambulances, but also equipped them to deal with all kinds of possible medical situations. These private air ambulances can provide bed services if a patient is bedridden, and paralyzed. Moreover these private air ambulances can also arrange for ground transportation, and can even provide for medical facilities in cases of drug overdoses.

Put it all together they can arrange for all basic medical amenities like basic life saving medical facilities, advanced life saving programs and also have the potential for providing critical care on domestic flights and international flights. These private air ambulance are equipped with all the medical staff that is required, depending on various situations.

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In many such cases of emergency, it requires to provide IV fluid to the patient till the patient reaches the hospital. Many a times, giving IV fluids to the patients on these air ambulances becomes life saving for the patient. Sometimes, the rate at which IV fluids are to be infused to the patient requires to be closely monitored. Intravenous (IV) infusion pump are required to do so. For this reason, all air ambulances are always equipped with IV infusion pumps and sufficient supply of IV fluids to handle such situations.

These IV infusion pumps are used when it becomes unreliable or very expensive to administer fluids manually. It can be set to administer as little as 0.1 mL/hour or vary the volume being administered by the time of the day which will be virtually impossible to do manually. These could be large volume pumps to feed nutrient fluid to a patient or small volume pumps to feed hormones like insulin in metered quantities.

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These kind of fixed air ambulances also try to utilize the expertise of personals, which belong to the U.S. army and the U.S. air force.

One of the leading advantages of the fixed wing air ambulance is, that it requires an airport which is of sufficient length so as to enable it fly off. Moreover the fuel consumption of the fixed wing air ambulance is comparatively lower as compared to its counterparts. However there are no issues about the quality and the efficiency that it provides, when compared to other air ambulances.

It also has a higher carrying capacity, actually this kind of air ambulances are used the most during turbulent times i.e. during national emergency.

This kind of fixed air ambulances are seen the most in the U.S., because they are permitted to fly anywhere without a license and don’t require any permission. These kind of fixed air ambulances are used during both the emergent and non emergent times. A well reputed fixed air wing carrier would include all the medical equipments and facilities in larger quantities, as compared to other air ambulances.

It would normally flown by an experienced pilot, who has cleared out the Airline Pilot examination, which is being ranked the highest in the U.S. It also includes a nurse, normally one but could increase to any number depending on the situation. It can also occupy within itself a team of doctors and paramedics, even physiologists and psychiatrists.

Fixed wing air ambulances are so huge that they could even carry tons of food grains and agricultural produce. It’s therefore the most preferred aircraft used by the military and the air force during times of natural calamities, like the earthquakes and the hurricanes. Even back supplies and medical equipments that may be needed during these times could be taken by the aircraft.

Fixed winged air ambulances come with all the necessary medical facilities and amenities that are required to save an individual. These are equipped with all the basic life saving apparatus like all the necessary supplies and equipment, they also provide with a critical life advance support systems.

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Apart from meeting these deficiencies, the lifepak also has other benefits like providing a powerful antioxidant support to the immune system, rejuvenating the cardiovascular health, maintaining the blood sugar metabolism and other anti-aging benefits.

The lifepak is available in the form of gelatin capsules in a small sachet which makes it easy for the people to consume it during the every day morning and evening meals.

Another product of the lifepak is the defibrillator which is used for saving the life of patients undergoing a cardiac arrest. The different types of lifepak defibrillators available are as follows:Lifepak 12 defibrillators- It is a multi-parameter device which combines semi-automated and manual defibrillation with capnography, external pacing, 12-lead electrocardiography and other general features.

Lifepak 20 defibrillators- It is a device that combines an AED function for the infrequent BLS trained responder with manual capability so that clinicians can very easily deliver the advanced diagnostic and therapeutic care.

There are many other lifepak defibrillator types available in the market. Some of the other important ones include the lifepak 1000, lifepak CR PLUS and lifepak express AEDS, the lifepak 500 and the lifepak 500 DPS- public safety.

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