Cannulas for a two year old?

We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?

Pediatric nasal cannulas can be sold or obtained from a medical supply
store or from a medical supply catalog, if you have trouble obtaining
them from an aviation supply store.

Unfortunately my oxygen experience involves "Liters per minute" and not
"thousands of feet" so I can't give much guidance on how much to use. If
you have an adult sized finger-tip pulse ox, you MAY be able to get a
reading on a child, but im not counting on it (try the big toe). If you
can get a good reading, aim to keep the child's sats above
90%..preferably 95%.

Dave

Chris Kennedy wrote:

We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?

if he sleeps with his mouth open.. check often for blue finger nails.

I like the tool on the toe idea

BT

"Chris Kennedy" wrote in message
...
We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?

I was a Paramedic for 14 years and found that the only things 2 year olds
like in their noses are fingers, french fries, penny's just about anything
other than a cannula. Your best bet is a mask that a) you convince him/her
that it neat to talk into or b) pin it to a seat close to their head where
the O2 blows over their face (It has to be close).

Like the other guy said get a pulse ox and use the big toe it's more
accurate in kids. You can also get tape on disposable kid size pickups.
Normal reading for a 2 year old is 97-99%. Real nice and high with those
brand new lungs.

Paul Davis.


"Chris Kennedy" wrote in message
...
We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?




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"Chris Kennedy" wrote in message
...
We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?

Personally, I doubt it is really necessary. Like as not he will get a little
sleepy is all. Have the oxygen available if he needs it, but don't make him
use it all the time.

One of the biggest Old Wives Tales in medicine is that mouth breathers
dont get the oxygen administered by a nasal cannula. If you put it in
the nose, it will fill the nose and displace the ambient air. THEN,
oxygen will overflow into the back of the throat where it is entrained
with inhaled air and raises the oxygen content of the inhaled air.

It makes NO DIFFERENCE if you are a mouth breather or a nose breather..
all the gasses still pass through the same bottleneck/choke point. - the
back of the throat (laryngopharynx, posterior pharynx or whatever
medical term is in vogue today).

If you MUST succumb to OWT reasoning.. then put the NC prongs into the
gaping open mouth and they will entrain oxygen into the oropharynx
instead.. and just in case the kid decides to mess with your mind and
breath through his nose, while asleep, with his gaping open
mouth..well.. he will still get his O's.

As for the big toe idea.. you do what you have to when you dont have
purpose built equipment.. in the back of an ambulance or in the ER when
your "pedi" room is occupied.. etc..

About the only thing I can think of that would defeat the whole
mouth/nose breathing logic I went through above is when you use a
"pulsed" oxygen conserving system, that senses the drop in pressure when
you inspire, and gives a shot (bolus) of high flow oxygen when you start
to inspire and stops when you stop inhaling... pretty high dollar for
the average recreational flier, but becoming common on your typical home
oxygen user. I actually inquired about using these devices in an
aircraft, but the company that I checked with said they only guaranteed
them to 10K feet (not that I could really see a basis for the
limitation, but hey.. its their gear, and their liability).

Dave

BTIZ wrote:
if he sleeps with his mouth open.. check often for blue finger nails.

I like the tool on the toe idea

BT

"Chris Kennedy" wrote in message
...

We've capitulated and have decided to add O2 to our Collection Of Stuff
(it's tough to file IFR over Northeastern California and the Great Basin
without it) and are trying to figure out what to do when it comes to our
two year old. He's nuts about flying and generally accepting of wearing
his headset, but we're skeptical that he'd wear a mask for any length of
time.

Does anyone know of a vendor of child-sized cannula or mask? Do any of
you folks have any experience flying on O2 with kids in this age range?