Abstract
Many hospitals throughout the world obtain oxygen from a supply of bulk liquid oxygen which is delivered throughout the hospital via pipelines. An incident in which, through a series of malfunctions, dangerously high pressure developed in the hospital oxygen pipeline is described. The oxygen delivery system described lacked a relief valve to vent excessive pressures. In North America such a relief valve is required on all oxygen delivery systems. An alarm system is also required which detects rises in pipeline pressures. Regulations in the U.K. do not provide for pressure- relief valves on liquid oxygen pipeline systems. In the U.K. there is also no regulation on alarms to warn of high pipeline pressures. High-pressure accidents are a real threat to patients and hospital staff unless proper safeguards are built into oxygen delivery systems.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1416-1418 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | The Lancet |
Volume | 305 |
Issue number | 7922 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 28 1975 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine