Regulation of oxygen concentration delivered to infants via nasal cannulas
N. E. Vain, L. M. Prudent, D. P. Stevens, M. M. Weeter and M. J. Maisels
Department of Pediatrics, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey.
The administration of oxygen to infants via nasal cannulas is now a common
practice in neonatal units although the inspired oxygen concentration
reaching the patient's airway is unknown. We measured the hypopharyngeal
oxygen concentration in 10 infants who were receiving oxygen via nasal
cannulas and assessed the impact of changes in the flow rate and inspired
oxygen concentration. Weaning these infants by reducing the flow rate, even
if changes are slight, produces clinically important changes in the oxygen
concentration reaching the airway. Such changes are poorly tolerated by
infants with chronic lung disease. Changing the flow rate and inspired
oxygen concentration, rather than the flow rate alone, provides greater
precision and is likely to avoid excessive and abrupt changes in the oxygen
concentration reaching the airway.
