Cellular Respiration Research Paper

Why is supplemental oxygen used?

To understand why supplemental oxygen use is deemed necessary, it is important to have a fundamental understanding of the significance of oxygen during cellular respiration. This metabolic pathway occurs either anaerobically or aerobically. Though each process produces adenosine triphosphate, anaerobic respiration—not involving the use of oxygen—produces only two ATP, whereas, aerobic respiration—involving the conversion of glucose into pyruvate, which undergoes oxidative phosphorylation—produces twenty-eight ATP. Since the output of aerobic cellular respiration is considerably higher than anaerobic respiration, it is the paramount process by which cells produce energy. Therefore, considering its necessary involvement

The body’s respiratory system as well as the oxygen delivery system, i.e. hemoglobin and cardiac output, may become compromised or inefficiently supported. This type of condition will result in hypoxemia, a lack of oxygen levels in the blood, which can be described as a decrease in arterial oxygen tension below the normal range of 60 mmHg or an oxygen saturation of hemoglobin below 90%. The causes of hypoxemia include hypoventilation, low ambient barometric pressure, diffusion defect, shunt, or ventilation-perfusion mismatch (cite hess, pg. 274). When hypoxemia develops, tissue hypoxia, a lack of adequate oxygen levels in the body’s cells and tissues, will occur. Unless promptly treated, hypoxia can have detrimental effects on the body such as cell apoptosis, altered vascular reactivity and, most notably, organ dysfunction or failure. Although there is no exact “critical level” at which harm appears during hypoxemia, since each individual’s compensatory mechanisms for hypoxemia vary, the rapidness of its onset, its duration and its severity may determine the beginning of tissue hypoxia (cite bein). The ultimate goal of administering supplemental oxygen is alleviating the condition of hypoxemia in order to further avoid the onset of hypoxia and consequential cell and organ dysfunction or failure. Therefore, if hypoxemia is substantiated, supplemental oxygen should be initiated. It is

Acute respiratory failure is described as the inability of the respiratory system to oxygenate venous blood and eliminate carbon dioxide. Infants have a higher risk of incurring acute respiratory failure, which requires emergency therapeutic intervention. This type of respiratory disease causes an increase in morbidity and sometimes mortality. The most common method of administering therapeutic oxygen to infants in respiratory distress is an oxygen hood or head box. Between October 2007 and December 2012 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, thirty infants who were diagnosed with pneumogenic acute respiratory failure and received oxygen therapy via head box were studied and the efficiency of oxygen delivery were evaluated. The patients were grouped in levels of acute respiratory failure severity ranging from mild (10%), moderate (50%) and severe (40%). When compared to the patients’ baseline values obtained prior to oxygen therapy initiation, the clinical scores recorded at 30 minutes and at 60 minutes following initiation showed marked improvements. Ultimately, the study found that supplemental oxygen administered via head box significantly increased the partial pressure values of oxygen as well as hemoglobin-oxygen saturation values as determined by pulse oximeter after 30 minutes and 60 minutes of the start of oxygen therapy. (cite o2