The Universal Oxygen Connector.

The purpose of this article is to describe the benefits of using the Universal Oxygen Connector. Until now, an oxygen hose was only able to connect to a 22-mm fitting, such as those found on humidifiers used in the recovery room, and oxygen tubing was only able to connect to a Christmas tree type adapter. The Universal Oxygen Connector, manufactured and sold by International Medical, Inc (Burnsville, Minn), was developed to allow the practitioner to attach either a 22-mm oxygen hose, oxygen tubing, or a 15-mm oxygen adapter to the same connector. Patients benefit from the administration of supplemental oxygen in the perioperative period. Supplemental oxygen has been shown to decrease postoperative hypoxemia, infection, and in some cases, nausea and vomiting. As such, oxygen should be administered during transport from the operating room to the recovery room, in the recovery room, and at times during transport to the patient room and in the patient room. Oxygen also should be administered whenever a patient receiving oxygen is transported. Use of the Universal Oxygen Connector decreases material waste, decreases hospital costs, saves time and effort and, most importantly, promotes patient safety by providing a versatile system for oxygen delivery.