# How hazardous is medical oxygen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563 "2016-11-03T22:02:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/21 "2016-11-04T16:32:54Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > **PDF warning.** Is that even necessary? All you have to do is hold your mouse over the link and see the file extension. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/22 "2016-11-04T21:19:38Z")
From [WebMD](http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/safety-tips-for-using-oxygen): > [@](#): > > Oxygen canisters should be kept at least 5-10 feet away from gas stoves, lighted fireplaces, woodstoves, candles or other sources of open flames. > Do not use oil, grease or petroleum-based products on the equipment. Do not use it near you while you use oxygen. These materials are highly flammable and will burn readily with the presence of oxygen. Avoid petroleum-based lotions or creams, like Vaseline, on your face or upper chest. Check the ingredients of such products before purchase. If a skin moisturizer is needed, consider using cocoa butter, aloe vera or other similar products. For lubrication or rehydration of dry nasal passages, use water-based products. Your pharmacist or care provider can suggest these. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/23 "2016-11-04T21:30:45Z")
Cocoa butter? Really? Cocoa butter is pure fat, and is also flammable. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/24 "2016-11-05T00:37:22Z")
for what it is worth, I have had 4 patients to die in fires caused by flames + medical oxygen. All were smokers who had been warned but chose to keep smoking. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/25 "2016-11-05T00:50:51Z")
You want the real answer, or the official answer? The official answer, of course, is based on an abundance of caution, the clumsiest and stupidest patient hypothetically possible, and a room full of pinatas. In which case, yeah, don’t be in the same room as an open flame. In reality, medical oxygen doesn’t present a problem nearly as often as the warnings would indicate danger. My husband - retired firefighter/paramedic - used to get a kick out of scaring the pants off his EMS students by blowing oxygen at a lit cigarette. It burns it right quick, a nice neat ZIIIIIP right up the tube. But it doesn’t explode or fireball or anything \*really \*entertaining. Oxygen itself doesn’t burn. It’s an oxidizer. It helps other things burn. So you need other flammable things plus heat to present a danger from the oxygen. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/26 "2016-11-05T12:09:01Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Is that even necessary? All you have to do is hold your mouse over the link and see the file extension. This site uses a particularly evil malware ad system called Vigilink. These \*\*\*\*\*\*\*s sometimes redirect real links with their own links for marketing purposes. What you see is not always what you get here. (There are also occasional cases where the given file extensions doesn’t actually match the file type.) ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563/27 "2016-11-05T13:34:14Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Is that even necessary? All you have to do is hold your mouse over the link and see the file extension. What mouse? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hazardous-is-medical-oxygen/770563.md?page=1)