ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Nord-Kivu is facing a high prevalence of hypoxemia diseases requiring the use of oxygen concentrators. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: This article describes the level of functionality of oxygen concentrators in 31 hospital structures, in North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study carried out a survey of managerial and maintenance personnel and the removal of parameters on the operation of oxygen concentrators from 31 hospitals handling Covid19 cases in North Kivu. The collected data was encoded and analyzed using SPSS version 26 software. RESULTS: The oxygen concentrators were of 28 different brands, and in 65.8% of cases with a 5-liter capacity. They were used in 70% of cases in 4 departments (Intensive care, operating room, emergency room, internal medicine). They were donated in 66.2% of cases (n=225), without accessory equipment in33.6% of cases and without training of maintenance technician in three of five cases or users in one in two cases. In 45% of cases, maintenance was provided. In 67.6% of cases oxygen concentrators were not functional (n=225), with impaired volume flow in 54.9% of cases and oxygen levels in 34,6% of cases. The oxygen deficit was variable depending on the type of hospital structures (p=0,005) but not the volume flow (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low functionality of oxygen concentrators increases patient risk and shows the interest to implement a provincial strategy for the management and maintenance of bio-medical equipment and its integration into regional health development plan.