Variability in low-flow oxygen delivery by nasal cannula evaluated in neonatal and infant airway replicas.

BACKGROUND: The nasal cannula is considered a trusted and effective means of administering low-flow oxygen and is widely used for neonates and infants requiring oxygen therapy, despite an understanding that oxygen concentrations delivered to patients are variable. METHODS: In the present study, realistic nasal airway replicas derived from medical scans of children less than 3 months old were used to measure the fraction of oxygen inhaled (FiO2) through nasal cannulas during low-flow oxygen delivery. Parameters influencing variability in FiO2 were evaluated, as was the hypothesis that measured FiO2 values could be predicted using a simple, flow-weighted calculation that assumes ideal mixing of oxygen with entrained room air. Tidal breathing through neonatal and infant nasal airway replicas was controlled using a lung simulator. Parameters for nasal cannula oxygen flow rate, nasal airway geometry, tidal volume, respiratory rate, inhalation/exhalation, or I:E ratio (ti/te), breath waveform, and cannula prong insertion position were varied to determine their effect on measured FiO2. In total, FiO2 was measured for 384 different parameter combinations, with each combination repeated in triplicate. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the influence of parameters on measured FiO2. RESULTS: Measured FiO2 was not appreciably affected by the breath waveform shape, the replica geometry, or the cannula position but was significantly influenced by the tidal volume, the inhalation time, and the nasal cannula flow rate. CONCLUSIONS: The flow-weighted calculation overpredicted FiO2 for measured values above 60%, but an empirical correction to the calculation provided good agreement with measured FiO2 across the full range of experimental data.

Inhaled Nitric Oxide: In Vitro Analysis of Continuous Flow Noninvasive Delivery via Nasal Cannula.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is most frequently delivered to mechanically ventilated patients in critical care, but it can also be administered noninvasively. The delivered dose and efficiency of continuous flow NO supplied through a nasal cannula has yet to be established. This study aimed to determine the influence of nasal cannula type, supply flow, and breathing pattern on delivered NO using a realistic adult airway replica and lung simulator. METHODS: Simulated breathing patterns were selected to represent rest, sleep, and light exercise, and were varied to investigate the effects of tidal volume and breathing frequency independently. Supplied gas flows targeted tracheal concentrations at rest of 5 or 20 ppm NO and were supplied with 2 L/min O2. Three different cannulas were tested. Tracheal NO concentrations and NO mass flow past the trachea were evaluated. RESULTS: Cannula type had a minor influence on delivered dose. Tracheal NO concentrations differed significantly based on breathing pattern (P < 0.01); for a target NO concentration of 20 ppm at rest, average inhaled NO concentrations were 23.3 ± 0.5 ppm, 36.5 ± 1.4 ppm, and 17.2 ± 0.3 ppm for the rest, sleep, and light exercise breathing patterns, respectively. For the same test conditions, mass flow of NO past the trachea was less sensitive to breathing pattern: 20.3 ± 0.5 mg/h, 19.9 ± 0.8 mg/h, and 24.3 ± 0.4 mg/h for the rest, sleep, and light exercise breathing patterns, respectively. Mass flow and delivery efficiency increased when minute volume increased. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that inhaled NO concentration is strongly influenced by breathing pattern, whereas inhaled NO mass flow is not. NO mass flow may therefore be a useful dose metric for continuous flow delivery via nasal cannula.