Oxygen Provider Level 2 (VTQ)

Oxygen Therapy is an essential aspect of first aid. Did you know that it can save lives or promote recovery?

Skills of how to assemble and disassemble an oxygen kit are covered in this course, as well as safety rules around its use. Bag Valve Mask skills are also taught to deliver breaths safely, and the class teaches how to provide 100% oxygen. In addition, pulse oximetry skills are honed so you can accurately monitor a patient's oxygenation levels while receiving treatment.


While the ERC and HSE regulations are abided by, this quality-assured Oxygen Therapy course ensures that you learn from only the best trainers. Independent quality assurance means we've been able to meet ERC regulations for teaching Oxygen Therapy so that everyone gets the best possible first aid education.

Oxygen therapy is undoubtedly essential in any first aid course, and it's vital if you're working with people oxygen-dependent. However, there's more to the subject than meets the eye. In this Oxygen Therapy course, you'll learn why it's essential in first aid practice and how to use oxygen packs safely and effectively. We'll also discuss safety rules around using oxygen and Bag Valve Mask skills so you can give breaths (non-contact by mouth) and deliver 100% oxygen, as well as pulse oximetry skills to check your patients' oxygen levels.


You will learn the basis of delivering oxygen in first aid practice, which can save a life or promote recovery—skills of how to assemble, use and disassemble an oxygen kit. Safety rules around the use of oxygen are also discussed. Bag Valve Mask skills are taught to deliver breaths (non-contact by mouth) and give 100 % oxygen as well, as pulse oximetry skills are honed. While the course content meets the ERC and HSE regulations, it has been independently vetted and quality assured.

Hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), carbon monoxide poisoning, and cluster headaches are examples of acute indications for therapy using oxygen. It may also be administered prophylactically to preserve blood oxygen levels while undergoing anaesthesia induction. Oxygen treatment may be used in cases of chronic hypoxemia due to conditions such as severe COPD or cystic fibrosis. High oxygen concentrations may lead to oxygen toxicity, causing lung damage and respiratory failure. Higher oxygen concentrations can also increase the risk of airway fires, particularly smoking. Oxygen therapy may also dry the nasal lining. Oxygen therapy treats acute indications such as hypoxemia, carbon monoxide poisoning and cluster headaches. Oxygen can also be administered prophylactically in cases of anaesthesia induction to preserve blood oxygen levels. Oxygen treatment may be used for chronic hypoxemia, such as severe COPD or cystic fibrosis. High oxygen concentrations can lead to oxygen toxicity, causing lung damage and respiratory failure. Higher oxygen concentrations can also increase the risk of airway fires, particularly smoking.


In various illnesses and settings, oxygen is commonly used by hospitals, EMS, and first-aid providers. Resuscitation, serious trauma, anaphylaxis, severe bleeding, shock, active convulsions, and hypothermia are some of the conditions that frequently require high-flow oxygen.


Oxygen therapy should be titrated to a target level in acute hypoxemia based on pulse oximetry (94–96% in most patients, or 88–92% in persons with COPD). According to the British Medical Journal, excessive oxygenation in the acutely ill has increased mortality. Exclusions include carbon monoxide poisoning, cluster headaches, sickle cell crisis, and pneumothorax.

For years, 100% oxygen was administered in a hyperbaric chamber for oxygen therapy as a last-ditch treatment for decompression sickness. While avoiding hyperoxia in which there is a high supply of oxygen to the organs and tissue is essential, oxygen therapy may be beneficial in stroke cases as long as a physician administers it before drug renewal.


Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are common conditions that may necessitate a supplementary oxygen baseline. During acute exacerbations, patients might also need additional oxygen. Notwithstanding relatively normal blood oxygen levels, oxygen may be administered for breathlessness, end-stage cardiac failure, respiratory failure, advanced cancer, or neurodegenerative illness. People with arterial oxygen partial pressure PaO2 2 ≤ 55mmHg (7.3kPa) or arterial oxygen saturation SaO2 2 ≤ 88% may be physiologically indicated.

Careful titration of oxygen therapy should be considered in patients with chronic conditions predisposing them to carbon dioxide retention (e.g., COPD, emphysema). In these instances, oxygen therapy may decrease respiratory drive, accumulating carbon dioxide (hypercapnia), academia, and increased mortality secondary to respiratory failure. Improved outcomes have been observed with titrated oxygen treatment mainly due to gradual ventilation/perfusion ratio improvement. The risks of withholding emergency oxygen far outweigh the risks associated with loss of respiratory drive, so emergency oxygen administration is never contraindicated. Transfer from the field to definitive care with titrated oxygen typically occurs long before significant reductions in the respiratory industry are observed.


When severe respiratory distress or respiratory arrest are present, oxygen therapy may exacerbate the effects of paraquat poisoning. According to animal research, it has been shown that oxygen therapy may aggravate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by acid aspiration in about 200 cases of deaths between 1958 and 1978.


When oxygen delivery is insufficient in certain populations, it may cause specific problems. Administration of high oxygen levels to infants with respiratory failure may occasionally stimulate new blood vessel formation in the eye, resulting in blindness. The term "retinopathy of prematurity" refers to this occurrence. Seizures have been reported in a small number of people who had hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

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