Using oxygen for asthma

Of the 12 times Kitty and Son #2 have been hospitalized for asthma, they needed oxygen each time. Yet there are different ways oxygen is administered.
 

Hubby was telling me about being in the hospital last week with a family member. Because of our many experiences with having a child in the hospital for asthma (made wore by pneumonia, RSV and wildfire smoke,) Hubby watches oxygen levels on the monitor.

 Hubby noticed that the family member's oxygen rate was only at 89%. It should be closer to 100%. This family member was sleeping, and was using a nasal cannula (a thin horizontal tube with a small nozzle that fits inside each nostril). Hubby noticed the family member was breathing through their mouth - instead of their nose - so the nasal cannula wasn't helping. 

Hubby notified the nurse and asked her to switch the family member to an oxygen mask. This ended up being a better delivery system, since the mask covers the nose and mouth.
 

This only worked because the nasal cannula and oxygen mask are used for different levels of oxygen. 

The mask is usually used when patients are on a higher delivery of oxgyen, around 6 liters or above. The nasal cannula can be if the patient is using less than 6 liters. It depends on how many liters of oxygen you're on as to whether you get the mask or cannula.

Usually, when one of the kids were admitted, they would be first put on a 6 liters of oxygen, and get a mask. Later, the medical staff tries to wean the kids down by giving less oxygen every day, and then switch them to the cannula.

A few things to keep in mind is that even with pediatric sized cannulas, they can be really irritating and cause problems. We have asked the respiratory therapist snip the tubes, so they're a bit smaller and don't go as far up the kid's nostrils.

Also, with oxygen blowing up your nose day after day, there's a good chance of getting a bloody nose. Not a good thing when you have tiny tubes trying to shoot oxygen up the nostril. 

You can ask your nurse for a 'bubbler'. It's a tiny water filled plastic container that they can attach to the oxygen tubing. It literally bubbles and sends a small amount of moisture into the oxygen to help moisturize the inside of the nose.

If you or a loved one is discharged on oxygen, there are several options. They have little portable tanks that fit in a holder and be slung on the shoulder if you need to go out. 

An oxygen concentrator is used if you are going to be on oxygen for a longer period of time. It's a loud, noisy machine that concentrates regular room air, turning it into oxygen. 

And there are also the regular old tanks.

Of course there are precautions around oxygen. I remember the nurses wouldn't let the kids use any lip blam, because it was petroleum based and could spark a fire. Great. 

Also, no open flames - scented candles or smoking - not that we smoke. Apparently some people do that are on oxygen!

Anyway, if you ever need to be on oxygen, there's a few hints. It's not as scary as it seems, and it is ever so helpful when you can actually breathe! I'm a little picky when it comes to breathing and my kids.....I like it when they can breathe.

Happy breathing.