Applications
Supplemental oxygen
A nasal cannula is generally used wherever small amounts of supplemental oxygen are required, without rigid control of respiration, such as in oxygen therapy. Most cannulae can only provide oxygen at low flow rates—up to 5 litres per minute (L/min)—delivering an oxygen concentration of 28–44%. Rates above 5 L/min can result in discomfort to the patient, drying of the nasal passages, and possibly nose bleeds (epistaxis). Also with flow rates above 6 L/min, the laminar flow becomes turbulent and the oxygen therapy being delivered is only as effective as delivering 5–6 L/min. The nasal cannula is often used in elderly patients or patients who can benefit from oxygen therapy but do not require it to self respirate. These patients do not need oxygen to the degree of wearing a non-rebreather mask. It is especially useful in those patients where vasoconstriction could negatively impact their condition, such as those suffering from strokes. A nasal cannula may also be used by pilots and passengers in small, unpressurized aircraft that do not exceed certain altitudes. The cannula provides extra oxygen to compensate for the lower oxygen content available for breathing at the low ambient air pressures of high altitude, preventing hypoxia. Special aviation cannula systems are manufactured for this purpose. Since the early 2000s, with the introduction of nasal cannula which uses heated humidification forNasal high-flow therapy
High flows of an air/oxygen blend can be administered via a nasal cannula to accurately deliver high volume of oxygen therapy.See also
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{{reflist , refs= {{cite web , url= https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=618570&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP#, title= Improvements in or relating to nasal inhalation apparatus , author= , website=Espacenet , publisher=The European Patent Organisation , access-date= November 26, 2018, department = (Primary Source) {{cite journal , vauthors = Hasani A, Chapman TH, McCool D, Smith RE, Dilworth JP, Agnew JE , title = Domiciliary humidification improves lung mucociliary clearance in patients with bronchiectasis , journal = Chron Respir Dis , volume = 5 , issue = 2 , pages = 81–6 , date = 2008 , pmid = 18539721 , doi = 10.1177/1479972307087190 , s2cid = 206736621 {{cite journal , vauthors = Roca O, Riera J, Torres F, Masclans JR , title = High-flow oxygen therapy in acute respiratory failure , journal = Respir Care , volume = 55 , issue = 4 , pages = 408–13 , date = April 2010 , pmid = 20406507 {{cite journal , vauthors = Sim MA, Dean P, Kinsella J, Black R, Carter R, Hughes M , title = Performance of oxygen delivery devices when the breathing pattern of respiratory failure is simulated , journal = Anaesthesia , volume = 63 , issue = 9 , pages = 938–40 , date = September 2008 , pmid = 18540928 , doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2008.05536.x , doi-access = free {{cite journal , vauthors = Turnbull B , title = High-flow humidified oxygen therapy used to alleviate respiratory distress , journal = Br J Nurs , volume = 17 , issue = 19 , pages = 1226–30 , date = 2008 , pmid = 18974691 , doi = 10.12968/bjon.2008.17.19.31462 {{cite journal , vauthors = Tiruvoipati R, Lewis D, Haji K, Botha J , title = High-flow nasal oxygen vs high-flow face mask: a randomized crossover trial in extubated patients , journal = J Crit Care , volume = 25 , issue = 3 , pages = 463–8 , date = September 2010 , pmid = 19781896 , doi = 10.1016/j.jcrc.2009.06.050 {{cite journal , vauthors = Parke RL, McGuinness SP, Eccleston ML , title = A preliminary randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness of nasal high-flow oxygen in intensive care patients , journal = Respir Care , volume = 56 , issue = 3 , pages = 265–70 , date = March 2011 , pmid = 21255498 , doi = 10.4187/respcare.00801 , doi-access = free Medical equipment 1949 introductions