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Methods of Oxygen Inhalation in Pediatrics

Administering oxygen to infants and children can be done in a multitude of ways, depending on how much oxygen they need and why. Oxygen is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas required by the body to sustain life. It has been the most widely used therapeutic modality for decades, not only for adults, but for infants and children as well. However, oxygen is a drug that should be administered with care, as prolonged exposure to elevated concentrations may cause toxic, irreversible side effects.

  1. Background

    • The air you breathe contains 21 percent oxygen, so inhalation of concentrations higher than 21 percent should be closely monitored. The primary indication for supplemental oxygen administration in infants and children is to supply an adequate level for normal metabolic function when the body cannot maintain this level on its own due to prematurity, illness or injury.

    Low-Flow Devices

    • Oxygen from a home oxygen system, cylinder, concentrator or wall source in a health care facility is cold and dry, so it must be heated and humidified before it reaches the infant or child. Examples of low-flow oxygen devices include nasal cannulas, simple oxygen masks and partial and non-rebreathing masks. Infant and pediatric nasal cannulas have shorter nasal prongs than adult nasal cannulas. Flow meters for low-flow oxygen are available in quarters or tenths of a liter per minute. Infants and children receiving supplemental oxygen should be continually monitored when receiving oxygen to avoid oxygen toxicity.

    High-Flow Devices

    • Administering supplemental oxygen through high-flow devices can provide as high as 100 percent oxygen and can give more precise oxygen concentrations than low-flow devices. Examples of high-flow devices include venture masks or air entrainment masks. Oxygen hoods, or oxyhoods, are the most common form of short-term oxygen delivery devices for infants. Oxygen tents are used for the older child and are designed to attach to a metal frame that attaches to a crib, enclosing the entire top portion and allowing a cool humidified mist of oxygen-enriched air to completely fill the tent.

    Isolette

    • While supplying supplemental oxygen can save an infants' life, it can also cause irreversible damage if not administered and monitored properly, and only at the level needed. Isolettes, found in neonatal intensive care units and used for high risk infants, deliver low to moderate concentrations of oxygen. Isolettes can also provide a more stable humidity and temperature for delicate, premature infants.

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