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Oxygen: Importance, Therapy & Medical Use

Oxygen (O2) is a vital gas that the body needs to breathe. It supplies cells and organs with energy and is essential for all metabolic processes.

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Things worth knowing about "Oxygen"

Oxygen (O2) is a vital gas that the body needs to breathe. It supplies cells and organs with energy and is essential for all metabolic processes.

What Is Oxygen?

Oxygen (chemical symbol: O2) is a colorless and odorless gas that makes up approximately 21 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. For the human body, oxygen is absolutely essential: without an adequate supply, cells can begin to die within minutes. Oxygen is absorbed through the lungs, transported via the bloodstream to all tissues and organs, and plays a central role in vital metabolic processes.

Biological Importance

Oxygen is the key fuel for cellular respiration (aerobic energy production). Inside the mitochondria – the powerhouses of the cell – oxygen is used to convert nutrients such as glucose into energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced as a byproduct and expelled through exhalation.

Energy production in all body cells
Supporting the immune system in fighting pathogens
Wound healing and tissue regeneration
Function of the brain, heart, and muscles

Oxygen Uptake and Transport

When inhaled, oxygen travels into the lungs, where it passes into the bloodstream through tiny air sacs called alveoli. In the blood, it binds to the red pigment hemoglobin found in red blood cells (erythrocytes) and is carried to organs and tissues throughout the body, where it is released and used for energy production.

Oxygen in Medicine

In medicine, oxygen is used as a therapeutic agent when the body is no longer receiving sufficient oxygen. This condition is known as hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) or hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in the tissues).

Medical Applications

Oxygen therapy: Administration of concentrated oxygen via nasal cannula, mask, or ventilator for conditions such as COPD, asthma, pneumonia, or heart failure
Emergency medicine: Immediate oxygen delivery during cardiac arrest, stroke, or severe trauma
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO): Treatment under increased air pressure in a pressure chamber, e.g., for decompression sickness, chronic wounds, or carbon monoxide poisoning
Anesthesia: Oxygen as a component of anesthetic gas mixtures

Oxygen Deficiency – Causes and Consequences

A lack of oxygen can have various causes and, depending on severity and duration, can have life-threatening consequences:

Lung diseases (e.g., COPD, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia)
Heart conditions (e.g., heart failure, myocardial infarction)
Anemia (reduced hemoglobin concentration in the blood)
Poisoning (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning)
High altitude (reduced partial pressure of oxygen)

Typical symptoms of oxygen deficiency include shortness of breath, dizziness, confusion, bluish discoloration of the lips or fingernails (cyanosis), and in severe cases, loss of consciousness and organ failure.

Measuring Oxygen Levels

The oxygen content of the blood is expressed as oxygen saturation (SpO2) and can be measured non-invasively using a pulse oximeter. Normal values in healthy adults range from 95 to 100 percent. Values below 90 percent are considered clinically significant and usually require medical evaluation.

Safety and Risks

Although oxygen is essential for life, excessive administration at high concentrations can be harmful. Too much oxygen can cause retinopathy (damage to the retina) in premature infants or damage the lungs with prolonged use (oxygen toxicity). Oxygen therapy should therefore always be administered under medical supervision and at the correct dosage.

References

World Health Organization (WHO): Use of pulse oximetry in the management of COVID-19. WHO, 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int
Bateman NT, Leach RM: ABC of oxygen: Acute oxygen therapy. BMJ, 1998; 317(7161): 798–801.
Porth CM: Essentials of Pathophysiology. 4th edition. Wolters Kluwer Health, 2015.

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