Dose variability of supplemental oxygen therapy with open patient interfaces based on in vitro measurements using a physiologically realistic upper airway model

Background Supplemental oxygen therapy is widely used in hospitals and in the home for chronic care. However, there are several fundamental problems with the application of this therapy such that patients are often exposed to arterial oxygen concentrations outside of the intended target range. This paper reports volume-averaged tracheal oxygen concentration measurements (FtO2) from in vitro experiments conducted using a physiologically realistic upper airway model. The goal is to provide data to inform a detailed discussion of the delivered oxygen dose. Methods A baseline FtO2 dataset using a standard, straight adult nasal cannula was established by varying tidal volume (V t ), breathing frequency (f), and continuous oxygen flow rate (Q O2 ) between the following levels to create a factorial design: V t = 500, 640, or 800 ml; f = 12, 17, or 22 min − 1 ; Q O2 = 2, 4, or 6 l/min. Further experiments were performed to investigate the influence on FtO2 of variation in inspiratory/expiratory ratio, inclusion of an inspiratory or expiratory pause, patient interface selection (e.g. nasal cannula versus a facemask), and rapid breathing patterns in comparison with the baseline measurements. Results Oxygen concentration measured at the trachea varied by as much as 60% (i.e. from 30.2 to 48.0% of absolute oxygen concentration) for the same oxygen supply flow rate due to variation in simulated breathing pattern. Among the baseline cases, the chief reasons for variation were 1) the influence of variation in tidal volume leading to variable FiO2 and 2) variation in breathing frequency affecting volume of supplemental oxygen delivered through the breath. Conclusion For oxygen administration using open patient interfaces there was variability in the concentration and quantity of oxygen delivered to the trachea over the large range of scenarios studied. Of primary importance in evaluating the oxygen dose is knowledge of the breathing parameters that determine the average inhalation flow rate relative to the oxygen flow rate. Otherwise, the oxygen dose cannot be determined.