These instructions from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia describe how to safely travel with oxygen.

Patient instructions: preparing for safe travel with oxygen

• Before traveling with oxygen, contact your home care company and ask them how much oxygen your child will need for safe travel.
• To calculate the amount of oxygen needed, answer the questions below with your home care provider:
  • What is the highest prescribed liter flow that is needed for your child?
  • What is your travel time?
  • What is double that travel time?  This calculation is required to safely determine how much oxygen you will need to take with you in your vehicle.
• Map out your travel route. Identify area hospitals and avoid major highways to reduce the risk of traffic delays.
• The home care respiratory therapist will help determine the amount of oxygen that can be safely transported in your vehicle to meet your child’s needs.

Instructions for traveling with oxygen:

• Oxygen needs to be visible to the caregiver while it is secured in your vehicle.
• Do not place oxygen in the trunk of your vehicle.
• All tanks need to be securely fastened in the car to avoid injury. Portable liquid oxygen tanks must be secured in an upright position to prevent them from spilling if tipped over.
• No sparks, flames or smoking in the vehicle with oxygen.
• Keep the window open slightly to allow air to move through the vehicle.
• Keep oxygen out of direct sunlight and away from any heat sources. Do not store oxygen in your vehicle when unattended, especially in hot weather.
• Have back up oxygen and oxygen supplies, such as cannula or masks, available.
• Identify and review applicable traffic laws when traveling with oxygen. Be aware there could be tunnel restrictions for hazardous materials.

If you have any questions about your child’s health, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. This document is intended only to provide general educational information and is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to use, as some of this information may need to be adapted for your child’s specific needs. It is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to advise you on the appropriate use of this information. If you/your child are not already a CHOP patient, this document does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you/your child and CHOP. CHOP is not responsible for any outcomes you/your child might experience from your use of this document. This document is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or implied. If this document refers to any drugs or medical devices, it is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to check the FDA status prior to use. If this document includes references to drug dosing, please do not rely on this document. Your healthcare provider should check the package insert for each drug before use. Hyperlinks used within this document may not be translated into other languages.

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