If you rely on medical oxygen you may be put off from the idea of vacationing abroad because of the fear of oxygen equipment failure while travelling. What on earth will you do should your equipment malfunction while you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, you aren’t signed up with a medical team and you have no idea where replacement kit or repairs might be sourced? This can seem very scary indeed, but with a little forethought and planning you can get through an equipment failure with nothing more than a little time invested.
If you sign up with us you will have access to the OxygenWorldwide emergency service (a multilingual 24/7 hotline) whose sole purpose is to quickly help and succour oxygen users on their holidays in supported countries – and that alone will give you great peace of mind from the start of your holiday planning! Read on for some clear and practical points on what to do if oxygen concentrator stops working abroad – a rare happenstance, but something it is best to be prepared for, if possible.
First Steps: Stay Calm and Assess the Situation
It can be all too easy to panic when equipment that we rely on seems to breakdown, but try to keep your head and go over all the obvious and easy fixes first: does your equipment need a new battery, to be charged or has the plug shifted in its socket? Is the tubing perhaps kinked or blocked? If in doubt the IT expert’s fix can sometimes work – turn it off and back on again! Sometimes (depending on the equipment, of course) this can be enough to smooth out glitches and allow things to reset themselves.
In the meantime, switch to your backup oxygen, if you have cylinders or a second POC (portable oxygen concentrator) on-hand. And keep an eye on your blood oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter. It is always useful to have one of these gadgets with you at all times, as it can reassure you when in certain stressful conditions, which can sometimes make patients believe they’re not getting the oxygen they need.
Contact Local Emergency Services (If Necessary)
If you are managing your breathing well without your equipment, you can skip this next step, but if you are in need, contact local emergency services immediately. In Europe, the equivalent of 999 and 911 is 112, and you will initially be answered in the language of the country. But, if you don’t speak that language, continue to hold on and they will transfer you fairly quickly to someone who speaks English, who will then be able to sort you out.
Once you’re through to a medical helpline, quickly and concisely explain the problem, letting them know that you are an oxygen user whose equipment has failed (or whose oxygen has run out, or whatever the precise problem is). Before you make the call, ensure that you have your medical documentation to hand, including your EHIC/GHIC information. Handing this over as soon as possible will help the emergency services get you the help you need promptly.
If you are in a hotel or other staffed accommodation, you can ask an employee to help you out. They can arrange for a paramedic or ambulance to come for you, or let you know a different, local way to find assistance.
If You’re an OxygenWorldwide Customer: Call Us Immediately
If you’re one of our existing customers, you will have been given the OxygenWorldwide Oxygen emergency service phone number. Now is the time to use it! As well as 24/7 multilingual support for all our current customers, we can also arrange replacement equipment, coordinate with local suppliers to get you what you need, when you need it, and even organise an emergency refill or a cylinder swap-out with surprisingly little notice. NB: do be aware that as fast as we are, our services do take a bit of time, so get in touch with us as soon as you realise there is a problem, even if you have enough oxygen or functionality for a little while.
We will also liaise directly with your accommodation to ensure smooth and efficient delivery for you.
Our emergency line is staffed by real people—ready to help, fast.
What to Do When You’re Not Covered by Emergency Support
Please do note that while OxygenWorldwide does have wide and far-ranging reach, there are some regions that are unsupported. These include some parts of the USA and Ibiza among others. And this means that OxygenWorldwide may not be able to intervene or that our assistance might not be as speedy as might be hoped. However! We can still help you to the best of our abilities and not inconsiderable experience. We can:
- Provide guidance and advice over the phone
- Help you to contact local suppliers and
- Support you with future travel plans in which we can implement better backup plans for you
How to Prevent Equipment Failures While Travelling
First things first – treat the trip like a health and safety risk assessment! What will you need and when? What obstacles are there to achieving all you want to? How can you minimise or even remove these problems? And so on.
You can give yourself the best chances on your trip by only using equipment provided by trusted suppliers, carrying extras of both oxygen and consumables like filters, cannulas and extra tubing, ensuring that all your batteries are full charged – and bringing extras that are also all fully charged!
Maintain your oxygen device painstakingly, keeping it clean and dry and packing it with care to prevent breakage or damage. If you’re carrying a POC, make sure you test it carefully before your trip, and also make sure that you know how to strip it down and put it back together. And finally, store your cylinders and any LOX (liquid oxygen) firmly closed and in an upright position to prevent spills and accidental leakage.
Why OxygenWorldwide Means Support – Not Just Supply
We are so much more than a supply organisation. We don’t only deliver oxygen, but we actively help to manage it whenever we can. We have especially strong working ties in Spain, Portugal and France as well as other partner regions. Islands, and some more niche destinations are often not included, so make sure you mention your specific destination when you are booking your flight or cruise and we will let you know what support we can offer you.
Should you be traveling to, for example, Spain, or one of the countries mentioned above, we can provide you with a speedy service, speaking your language, understanding your equipment and how it works, and can act really quickly to get you what you need.
We specialise in helping customers traveling with chronic conditions who might have limited mobility or complex itineraries to legislate for (or both!), so we really can find a solution for almost every medical oxygen problem.
You’re Never Alone with Right Team on Your Side
So you can see, equipment issues don’t have to mean the end or ruin of your trip, especially if you are an OxygenWorldwide customer. We aren’t just a provider for you, we’re your partner in your travel, so if you’re planning a trip, make sure your oxygen needs are supported too!
Contact us today to let us help you organise your travel oxygen – and we’ll have your back if anything goes wrong along the way!
