Chest
Volume 103, Issue 4, April 1993, Pages 1157-1160
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Clinical Investigations
A New Oxygen Applicator for Simultaneous Mouth and Nose Breathing

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We have developed a new O2 applicator to try to overcome the problems of long-term oxygen therapy that ensures a sufficient oxygen supply for both nasal and oral breathing and prevents mucosal irritation. Placed on the upper lip, it is unobtrusive. The principle is as follows: due to an enlarged outlet area, turbulence occurs and the oxygen is reduced. Thus, an oxygen cloud is formed that can be inhaled by both mouth or nose. The efficiency of our Ot applicator was compared with a face mask in six healthy subjects and patients with COPD. A similar increase in Po2 was found up to an oxygen flow of 2 L/min for nasal and oral breathing. Mild hypercapnia resulted in three patients with COPD only when a face mask was used and only when patients breathed through the nose. All patients preferred the new applicator.

Section snippets

Principle of the New Applicator

The principle of the new applicator is depicted in Figure 1. Enlargement of the outlet area and additional turbulence as a result of centrifugal flow reduces the high initial oxygen flow velocity from the thin tube. Thus, oxygen accumulates around the applicator in the form of a cloud and can be inhaled by mouth or nose.

The oxygen flow velocity at the outlet is calculated as the oxygen flow is divided by the diameter of the tube through which the oxygen flows. For example, for nasal oxygen

RESULTS

The initial blood gas values during room air breathing (oxygen flow = 0 L) were not significantly different for the oxygen mask and the new applicator, whether subjects breathed through the mouth or nose (Table 1).

The average percentage increase in Po2 was not significantly different for oxygen administration up to 2 L/min for the two methods of administration, neither for oral nor for nasal breathing (Fig 6). Significance was achieved at 3 L/min (mouth breathing, p = 0.06; nose breathing, p =

DISCUSSION

A comfortable oxygen delivery system is desirable for long-term oxygen therapy. Face masks are hardly ever used in Germany as they are uncomfortable (warm air congestion, speech impaired, and food uptake impossible) and can cause a rise in Pco2.5, 12 In Great Britain, North America, and Scandinavia more comfortable, cooler Venturi masks providing controlled oxygen are widely used, although they are obtrusive and are difficult to use while eating. Single- or double-lumened nasal cannulas are

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

The writers thank Dr. Mike Newhouse for preparing this manuscript and Brigitte Fischer for secretarial assistance.

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