Abstract: Gases have long been used for medical applications across the world. Medical oxygen, one of the most important medical gases, has been widely applied both in hospitals and at home. It is defined as a drug and its pipeline distribution systems are medical devices whose quality and management should conform to specific standards. In China, several deficiencies relating to the distribution and use of medical oxygen, which may lead to a number of fatal accidents like gas pipeline explosion and cause illicit product use, have been revealed in health facilities. They are the result of a lack of the relevant standards, management and practical experiences. To overcome these failures, it might be interesting to refer to the experience and regulations of other countries, for example, those of France.

Key words: Medical gas pipeline systems, Oxygen, Standardisation, Quality, China