Superiority of OxyMask™ with Less Carbon Dioxide Rebreathing in Children

Abstract Despite the growing importance of oxygen-delivery devices worldwide, there are only a few reports of physiological data on various oxygen masks in children. OxyMask KidTM (Southmedic Inc. Canada; hereafter OxyMask) is expected to reduce carbon dioxide rebreathing even at low oxygen flow rates because of its structural features. Biological data using OxyMask in children have not been well investigated. Measured respiratory parameters of OxyMask with those of a simple oxygen mask in healthy children were compared. Ten subjects were enrolled, with a median age of 5.4 years. All of them used both OxyMask and a simple oxygen mask. The fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FIO2), partial pressure of inspiratory carbon dioxide (PICO2), and partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide were measured using a side-stream gas-sampling monitor in all subjects. The oxygen-flow rate was set at 1, 3, 5, and 10 L/min. FIO2 levels were higher with OxyMask than with the simple oxygen mask at 3L/min of oxygen. PICO2 levels were significantly lower with OxyMask than with the simple oxygen mask (1.5 mmHg vs. 3.7 mmHg at 1 L/min, P = .005; 1.0 mmHg vs. 2.7 mmHg at 3 L/min, P = .005, respectively), whereas PICO2 levels were higher at low oxygen-flow rates with both masks. ConclusionOur results showed that higher FIO2 and less CO2 rebreathing were achieved with OxyMask than with a simple oxygen mask at low-flow rates of oxygen in healthy children.