System | Percent oxygen delivered* | Indications | Comments |
Blow by | Less than 30 percent | Use for spontaneously breathing children who require low doses of oxygen and do not tolerate a mask | Best delivered at a flow rate of at least 10 L/minute through a reservoir (ie, a simple mask or Styrofoam or paper drinking cup with oxygen tubing poked through the bottom) with the reservoir held near the patient's face by a parent or other caregiver |
Low flow nasal cannula (1 to 4 L/min) | 25 to 40 percent | Use to deliver low-dose oxygen to spontaneously breathing patients | Percent oxygen delivered affected by respiratory rate, tidal volume, and extent of mouth breathing. In infants, limit flow rate to 2 L/min or less to avoid inadvertent administration of positive airway pressure |
Simple mask | 35 to 50 percent | Use to deliver low-dose oxygen to spontaneously breathing patients | Percent oxygen delivered affected by mask fit and respiratory rate |
Small diffuser (OxyMask) | 25 to >80 percent | Use to provide low- or high-dose oxygen to spontaneously breathing patients | Range of oxygen delivery at different flow rates (approximately 25 percent at 1.5 L/min to >80 percent at ≥15 L/min). Open-mask design may be better tolerated by children. May provide equivalent oxygen delivery at lower flow rates than other mask devices. |
Partial rebreather mask | 50 to 60 percent | Use to conserve oxygen | |
Nonrebreather mask | 65 to 95 percent | Use to deliver high-dose oxygen to spontaneously breathing patients | Tight mask fit required to deliver higher concentrations of oxygen |
Hood | 30 to 90 percent | Infants less than one year of age | Noisy for patient |
Tent | 25 to 50 percent | Use for children who require 30 percent oxygen or less | Mist may obscure view of patient. Noisy for patient. Low-flow nasal cannula or masks preferred. |
Self-inflating ventilation bag | 95 to 100 percent, with reservoir | Use to provide assisted ventilation and oxygen | Do not use to provide blow by. Must use with a reservoir to provide higher oxygen concentrations. |
Flow-inflating ventilation bag | 100 percent | Use to provide assisted ventilation and oxygen | May use to provide blow by. Requires experience to use reliably. |
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