What term describes the number of liters of oxygen delivered per minute by a device?

What term describes the number of liters of oxygen delivered per minute by a device?

• A. Flow rate
• B. FiO2
• C. Oxygen concentration
• D. Delivery pressure

Answer: (A)

Flow rate is the amount of oxygen delivered per minute, measured in liters per minute. It tells you how much gas is moving from the device to the patient each minute, which is the metric described in the question. FiO2, by contrast, refers to the fraction or percentage of oxygen in the gas—its concentration—not how much gas is delivered per minute. Delivery pressure is about the pressure of the gas, not the volume flow. So liters per minute directly describes the flow rate, making it the best answer. For reference, devices like nasal cannulas and masks are often set by flow rate (e.g., 2 L/min, 5–6 L/min, 10 L/min), while FiO2 indicates how rich the oxygen content is.

Flow rate is the amount of oxygen delivered per minute, measured in liters per minute. It tells you how much gas is moving from the device to the patient each minute, which is the metric described in the question. FiO2, by contrast, refers to the fraction or percentage of oxygen in the gas—its concentration—not how much gas is delivered per minute. Delivery pressure is about the pressure of the gas, not the volume flow. So liters per minute directly describes the flow rate, making it the best answer. For reference, devices like nasal cannulas and masks are often set by flow rate (e.g., 2 L/min, 5–6 L/min, 10 L/min), while FiO2 indicates how rich the oxygen content is.