[Oxygen cylinders with an integrated pressure regulator with cylinder valves]

The different possibilities of oxygen delivery cylinders with integrated pressure regulator have taken a preponderant place since their arrival in 1995 in both health establishments and home care. This is mainly due to their safe and easy use. These cylinders are made of a light material (aluminium alloy coated with synthetic polymers) and have obtained, as the other medicinal oxygen forms, a French marketing authorization in 1997. After 7 years of availability in hospitals, the author provides a comparison between the hospital market and a critical assessment of announced advantages with respect in notified cases of vigilance. For the smaller capacities (particularly the 5 litre cylinders) new cylinders have substituted the classical cylinders, which oblige to connect an independent pressure regulator. Each year this last technology causes a lot of failures, sometimes serious. French manufacturers are aware of this development; meanwhile it remains limited to other EU countries. The offer is generally satisfying, similar upon safety and advantages (weight, residual pressure valve, and easiness of handling) with a large flow choice and maintenance under the responsibility of the manufacturer. The choice of these cylinders for hospital is particularly notified and has to be encouraged because avoiding risk of accidents due to the erratic maintenance of pressure regulators fitted with usual cylinders where it is not accomplished by technicians duly educated and qualified for this purpose.