Tab Article

The targeted audience of this textbook “Oxygen Therapy: New Approach to Wellness Across Specialties” is planned to be diverse, ranging from general practitioners to specialists of Respiratory Medicine, Internal medicine, Critical Care, and several other Broad and Super Medical and Surgical Specialties, as well as postgraduate trainees, my attempt as the Editor was to make a sincere attempt to cater to the needs, aspirations, and expectations of all groups of readers. Not only are the historical perspectives of the discovery of oxygen and the evolution of oxygen therapy in medicine from the past to the present discussed, but also the physiological basis of gas exchange, respiratory failure, the scientific basis, indications, modalities and devices for administration and monitoring of oxygen therapy for different medical conditions, acute and chronic, and its administration, either alone or along with assisted ventilation and pulmonary interventions, for both the adult and the pediatric patient population have been covered, as well as sources, supply, storage, transport, toxicity, conservatory strategies of oxygen, oxygen audits, practice points useful to manage oxygen crisis during pandemics as well as valuable lessons for the future. It must not be forgotten that oxygen, like any other medication, is considered as a drug and, as such, has to be administered accordingly just like any other drug, keeping in mind its benefits versus risk and fine-tuning the dose, delivery, and duration of oxygen therapy to every patient. To commemorate the contributions of all whose efforts led to oxygen therapy and assisted ventilation achieving their current status in modern medicine, I have compiled a photo gallery in the chapter on historical and current and future perspectives “The Past, Present, and Future of Oxygen Therapy”.