medical air

medical air

A piped medical gas which has a composition similar to that of ambient air. In contrast to other piped medical gases, which are typically delivered to hospitals in cylinders, medical air is usually manufactured on-site. The downside of on-site production of medical air is the complexity of equipment used to produce it. Medical air is used for patients (including neonates) at risk of oxygen toxicity, so as to reduce oxygen exposure and respiratory distress syndrome; it is also used during anaesthesia as a substitute for nitrous oxide to reduce exposure to concentrated oxygen.