Home oxygen for children: who, how and when?

Prospective Risk Stratification Identifies Healthcare Utilization Associated with Home Oxygen Therapy for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

OBJECTIVE

To test whether prospective classification of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia identifies lower-risk infants for discharge with home oxygen who have fewer rehospitalizations by 1 year after neonatal intensive care unit discharge.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a prospective single-center cohort that included infants from 2016 to 2019 with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, defined as receiving respiratory support at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age. "Lower-risk" infants were receiving ≤2 L/min nasal cannula flow, did not have pulmonary hypertension or airway comorbidities, and had blood gas partial pressure of carbon dioxide <70 mm Hg. We compared 3 groups by discharge status: lower-risk room air, lower-risk home oxygen, and higher-risk home oxygen. The primary outcome was rehospitalization at 1 year postdischarge, and the secondary outcomes were determined by the chart review and parent questionnaire.

RESULTS

Among 145 infants, 32 (22%) were lower-risk discharged in room air, 49 (32%) were lower-risk using home oxygen, and 64 (44%) were higher-risk. Lower-risk infants using home oxygen had rehospitalization rates similar to those of lower-risk infants on room air (18% vs 16%, P = .75) and lower rates than higher-risk infants (39%, P = .018). Lower-risk infants using home oxygen had more specialty visits (median 10, IQR 7-14 vs median 6, IQR 3-11, P = .028) than those on room air. Classification tree analysis identified risk status as significantly associated with rehospitalization, along with distance from home to hospital, inborn, parent-reported race, and siblings in the home.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospectively identified lower-risk infants discharged with home oxygen had fewer rehospitalizations than higher-risk infants and used more specialty care than lower-risk infants discharged in room air.

Predictors of home oxygen duration in chronic neonatal lung disease

AIMS

In infants with chronic neonatal lung disease (CNLD), we aimed to identify predictors of home oxygen duration, predictors of discharge oxygen flow rates, and the association of oxygen flow rates with respiratory outcomes.

METHODS

Infants with CNLD requiring home oxygen in 2016 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated from Cox proportional hazards regression models in the cohort. A multinomial logistic regression model examined the effects of maternal and infant variables on discharge oxygen flow rates. Kruskal-Wallis test with univariate linear regression and Fisher's exact test with binomial univariate logistic regression were used to examine associations between oxygen flow groups and post-discharge clinical variables.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-nine infants were included. Median corrected gestational age (CGA) at oxygen cessation was 6.8 months (interquartile range, 4.4) with 87.2% of infants weaned by 12 months CGA. Shorter initial neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay predicted faster oxygen weaning at 9 months (HR, 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98-1.00, p = .02) and 12 months (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.00, p = .02). Infants with hypercarbia at discharge or discharged from NICU at higher CGA had higher odds of requiring ≥ 200 ml/min relative to ≤ 125 ml/min oxygen. Infants discharged with > 250 ml/min oxygen were more likely to have a respiratory-related admission before 2 years chronological age.

CONCLUSION

Shorter initial NICU stay was the best predictor of earlier home oxygen cessation. At NICU discharge, infants with hypercarbia or a higher CGA may require more home oxygen and experience more respiratory-related hospital admission in the first 2 years of chronological age.

Respiratory management of infants with chronic neonatal lung disease beyond the NICU: A position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand

Chronic neonatal lung disease (CNLD) is defined as continued need for any form of respiratory support (supplemental oxygen and/or assisted ventilation) beyond 36 weeks PMA. Low-flow supplemental oxygen facilitates discharge from hospital of infants with CNLD who are hypoxic in air and is widely used despite lack of evidence on the most appropriate minimum mean target oxygen saturations. Furthermore, there are minimal data to guide the home monitoring, titration or weaning of supplemental oxygen in these infants. The purpose of this position statement is to provide a guide for the respiratory management of infants with CNLD, with special emphasis on role and logistics of supplemental oxygen therapy beyond the NICU stay. Reflecting a variety of clinical practices and infant comorbidities (presence of pulmonary hypertension, retinopathy of prematurity and adequacy of growth), it is recommended that the minimum mean target range for SpO2 during overnight oximetry to be 93-95% with less than 5% of total recording time to be below 90% SpO2 . Safety of short-term disconnection from supplemental oxygen should be assessed before discharge, with majority of infants with CNLD not ready for discharge until supplemental oxygen requirement is ≤0.5 L/min. Sleep-time assessment of oxygenation with continuous overnight oximetry is recommended when weaning supplemental oxygen. Palivizumab is considered safe and effective for the reduction of hospital admissions with RSV infection in this group. This statement would be useful for paediatricians, neonatologists, respiratory and sleep physicians and general practitioners managing children with CNLD.

Home Oxygen Use and 1-Year Readmission among Infants Born Preterm with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Discharged from Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Units

OBJECTIVE

To determine associations between home oxygen use and 1-year readmissions for preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) discharged from regional neonatal intensive care units.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a secondary analysis of the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database, with readmission data via the Pediatric Hospital Information System and demographics using ZIP-code-linked census data. We included infants born <32 weeks of gestation with BPD, excluding those with anomalies and tracheostomies. Our primary outcome was readmission by 1 year corrected age; secondary outcomes included readmission duration, mortality, and readmission diagnosis-related group codes. A staged multivariable logistic regression was adjusted for center, clinical, and social risk factors; at each stage we included variables associated at P < .1 in bivariable analysis with home oxygen use or readmission.

RESULTS

Home oxygen was used in 1906 of 3574 infants (53%) in 22 neonatal intensive care units. Readmission occurred in 34%. Earlier gestational age, male sex, gastrostomy tube, surgical necrotizing enterocolitis, lower median income, nonprivate insurance, and shorter hospital-to-home distance were associated with readmission. Home oxygen was not associated with odds of readmission (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.98-1.56), readmission duration, or mortality. Readmissions for infants with home oxygen were more often coded as BPD (16% vs 4%); readmissions for infants on room air were more often gastrointestinal (29% vs 22%; P < .001). Clinical risk factors explained 72% of center variance in readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Home oxygen use is not associated with readmission for infants with BPD in regional neonatal intensive care units. Center variation in home oxygen use does not impact readmission risk. Nonrespiratory problems are important contributors to readmission risk for infants with BPD.

Home Oxygen Therapy for Children. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline

Background: Home oxygen therapy is often required in children with chronic respiratory conditions. This document provides an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the implementation, monitoring, and discontinuation of home oxygen therapy for the pediatric population.

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel identified pertinent questions regarding home oxygen therapy in children, conducted systematic reviews of the relevant literature, and applied the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach to rate the quality of evidence and strength of clinical recommendations.

Results: After considering the panel’s confidence in the estimated effects, the balance of desirable (benefits) and undesirable (harms and burdens) consequences of treatment, patient values and preferences, cost, and feasibility, recommendations were developed for or against home oxygen therapy specific to pediatric lung and pulmonary vascular diseases.

Conclusions: Although home oxygen therapy is commonly required in the care of children, there is a striking lack of empirical evidence regarding implementation, monitoring, and discontinuation of supplemental oxygen therapy. The panel formulated and provided the rationale for clinical recommendations for home oxygen therapy based on scant empirical evidence, expert opinion, and clinical experience to aid clinicians in the management of these complex pediatric patients and identified important areas for future research.

Contemporary portable oxygen concentrators and diverse breathing behaviours -- a bench comparison

Background

Decades of clinical research into pulsed oxygen delivery has shown variable efficacy between users, and across a user’s behaviours (sleep, rest, activity). Modern portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) have been shown as effective as other oxygen delivery devices in many circumstances. However, there are concerns that they are not effective during sleep when the breathing is shallow, and at very high respiratory rates as during physical exertion. It can be challenging to examine the determinants of POC efficacy clinically due to the heterogeneity of lung function within oxygen users, the diversity of user behaviour, and measurement issues. Representative bench testing may help identify key determinants of pulsed-oxygen device efficacy.

Methods

Three contemporary devices were bench-evaluated across three simulated breathing behaviours: activity, rest, & oronasal breathing during sleep. Emphasis was placed on breathing patterns representative of oxygen users.

Results

All three POCs performed well during simulated breathing during exertion and at rest. Differences in triggering ability were noted for the scenario of oronasal breathing during sleep.

Conclusions

The results are supportive of contemporary POC triggering abilities. The differences shown in ultimate trigger sensitivity may have relevance to oronasal breathing during sleep or other challenging scenarios for pulsed oxygen delivery, such as dominant mouth breathing during exertion or unfavourable nasal geometry.

Pediatric Heart Failure: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management

Pediatric heart failure represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Currently, there are well-established guidelines for the management of heart failure in the adult population, but an equivalent consensus in children is lacking. In the clinical setting, ensuring an accurate diagnosis and defining etiology is essential to optimal treatment. Diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition are the first-line therapies, whereas beta-blockers and devices for electric therapy are less used in children than in adults. In the end-stage disease, heart transplantation is the best choice of treatment, while a left ventricular assist device can be used as a bridge to transplantation (due to the difficulties in finding organ donors), recovery (in the case of myocarditis), or destination therapy (for patients with systemic disease).

Varying patterns of home oxygen use in infants at 23-43 weeks' gestation discharged from United States neonatal intensive care units

OBJECTIVES

To compare proportions of infants at different gestational ages discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on home oxygen, to determine how many were classified with chronic lung disease based on timing of discharge on home oxygen, and to determine the percentage discharged on home oxygen who received mechanical ventilation.

STUDY DESIGN

We evaluated a retrospective cohort of infants of 23-43 weeks' gestational age discharged from 228 NICUs in 2009, using the Pediatrix Clinical Data Warehouse. Multilevel logistic regression analysis identified predictors of home oxygen use among extremely preterm, early-moderate preterm, late preterm, and term infants. Duration of mechanical ventilation and median length of stay were calculated for infants discharged on home oxygen.

RESULTS

For the 48877 infants studied, the rate of home oxygen use ranged from 28% (722 of 2621) in extremely preterm infants to 0.7% (246 of 34 934) in late preterm and term infants. Extremely preterm infants composed 56% (722 of 1286) of the infants discharged on home oxygen; late preterm and term infants, 19% (246 of 1286). After gestational age, mechanical ventilation was the main predictor of home oxygen use; however, 61% of the late preterm and term infants discharged on home oxygen did not receive ventilation. The median length of hospital stay was 95 days (IQR, 76-114 days) for extremely preterm infants discharged on home oxygen, but only 15 days (IQR, 10-22 days) for late preterm and term ventilated infants discharged on home oxygen.

CONCLUSION

Although home oxygen use is uncommon in later-gestation infants, the greater overall numbers of later-gestation infants contribute significantly to the increased need for home oxygen for infants at NICU discharge. Neither respiratory failure nor lengthy hospitalization is a prerequisite for home oxygen use at later gestational age.

Recommendations for long-term home oxygen therapy in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To advise pediatricians, neonatologists, pulmonologists, pediatric pulmonologists, and other professionals in the area on the main indications and characteristics of long-term home oxygen therapy in children and adolescents.

DATA SOURCE

A literature search was carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed database (1990 to 2011). Additionally, references from selected studies were included. As consistent scientific evidence does not exist for many aspects, some of the recommendations were based on clinical experience.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Long-term home oxygen therapy has been a growing practice in pediatric patients and is indicated in bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans, interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary hypertension, among others. The benefits are: decrease in hospitalizations, optimization of physical growth and neurological development, improvement of exercise tolerance and quality of sleep, and prevention of pulmonary hypertension/cor pulmonale. The levels of oxygen saturation indicative for oxygen therapy differ from those established for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and vary according to age and disease. Pulse oximetry is used to evaluate oxygen saturation; arterial blood gas is unnecessary. There are three available sources of oxygen: gas cylinders, liquid oxygen, and oxygen concentrators. The flows used are usually smaller, as are the number of hours/day needed when compared to the use in adults. Some diseases show improvement and oxygen therapy discontinuation is possible.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term home oxygen therapy is increasingly common in pediatrics and has many indications. There are relevant particularities when compared to its use in adults, regarding indications, directions for use, and monitoring.

Awake and asleep oxygen saturations in infants with chronic neonatal lung disease

AIM

There is uncertainty about the best method of withdrawing supplemental oxygen in babies with chronic neonatal lung disease (CNLD). Some authors advocate withdrawal of oxygen in the day, but continuing supplementation during sleep, based on early work suggesting that oxygen saturations are lower during sleep, which did not accord with our clinical impression. We re-examined the hypothesis that babies have lower saturations while asleep.

METHODS

We studied infants with CNLD during the day, while awake and asleep. We recorded video with simultaneous real-time capture of oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate and plethysmographic waveform from pulse oximetry. Behavioural state was scored using observation and video and classified as awake (feeding, active or quiet) or sleep.

RESULTS

Thirteen infants had analysable data, although one had strikingly lower SpO2 values while awake and was excluded from analysis. The infants had a median gestation of 26 weeks and were studied at a median (range) postmenstrual age of 66 (37-130) weeks, for 229 (89-330) min. Mean SpO2 was 97.6% during sleep and 97.0% awake (p=0.011).

CONCLUSION

Babies with CNLD have lower oxygen saturation while awake. There is no physiological justification for increasing oxygen during sleep, or withdrawing selectively during the daytime, although larger studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Programa de oxigenoterapia domiciliar para crianças egressas de uma unidade neonatal: relato da experiência de dez anos

OBJETIVO: Descrever os resultados do programa de oxigenoterapia domiciliar, com uso de concentrador de oxigênio, utilizado por crianças egressas de uma unidade neonatal ao longo de seus primeiros dez anos. MÉTODOS: Estudo de corte transversal com componente analítico para avaliar o programa de oxigenoterapia domiciliar de uma unidade neonatal de um hospital público universitário do interior do Estado de São Paulo durante o período de novembro de 1996 a dezembro de 2006. RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas 160 crianças com indicação de oxigenoterapia domiciliar, das quais 63,3% apresentavam displasia broncopulmonar. Em média, 3,0% de todos os pacientes internados e 8,6% dos recém-nascidos com peso inferior a 1500g ao nascer receberam alta em oxigenoterapia. A duração média do uso de O2 no domicílio foi de 42,3±54,0 dias. Na comparação das características demográficas da população e do tempo de uso de O2 domiciliar, não se observaram diferenças significativas entre os anos. Não houve correlação entre o tempo de ventilação mecânica e a duração da terapia domiciliar. Houve necessidade de cuidados especiais, além do uso de O2 e medicações, em 22,3% dos casos. Nos primeiros dois anos de vida, a taxa de morbidade e de mortalidade foram, respectivamente, 40,1 e 14,1%. CONCLUSÕES: O uso de oxigênio domiciliar, com sistema de concentrador de oxigênio, é uma alternativa terapêutica factível em nosso meio, merecendo mais atenção dos profissionais de saúde e maior investimento das instituições de saúde. São necessários mais estudos nacionais para se aprimorar a qualidade do atendimento e a segurança destes programas para a população neonatal.

Chronic interstitial lung diseases in children

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in children constitute a heterogeneous group of rare diseases that have been described and classified according to experiences and research in adults. However, pediatric pulmonologists have observed that the clinical spectrum is broader in children than in adults, and that many of these disorders have different courses and treatment responses. In addition, probably due to the various stages of lung development and maturation, new clinical forms have been described, particularly in infants. This has broadened the classification of ILDs in this age bracket. The understanding that neither the usual definition nor the standard classification of these disorders entirely apply to children has prompted multicenter studies designed to increase knowledge of these disorders, as well as to standardize diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. We have reviewed the conceptualization of ILDs in children, taking into consideration the particularities of this group of patients when using the criteria for the classification of these diseases in adults. We have also made a historical review of several multicenter studies in order to further understanding of the problem. We have emphasized the differences in the clinical presentation, in an attempt to highlight knowledge of newly described entities in young children. We underscore the need to standardize management of laboratory and radiological routines, as well as of lung biopsy processing, taking such knowledge into account. It is important to bear in mind that, among the recently described disorders, genetic surfactant dysfunction, which is often classified as an idiopathic disease in adults, should be included in the differential diagnosis of ILDs.

[Oxygen therapy in acute and chronic conditions: Indications, oxygen systems, assessement and follow-up]

Oxygen therapy has become a major tool for infants with acute and chronic respiratory failure. Appropriate goals when prescribing supplemental oxygen are reduction and prevention of hypoxemia, prevention and treatment of pulmonary hypertension and decrease in respiratory and cardiac overload. This is commonplace in the acute setting and is also becoming widespread in chronic pathologies. However, there is a lack of consensus on many fundamental issues, such as appropriate indications, desirable targets and outcome measures amongst centres, reflecting a variety of clinical practices. The Techniques Group of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Pneumology undertook to design recommendations for a rational approach to oxygen therapy, reviewing the existing literature in order to establish its indications, benefits and potential risks as well as its cost-effectivenes. General aspects of oxygen treatment are reviewed including physiological mechanisms, indications, delivery systems and assessment methods. Management of patients on home oxygen therapy is also addressed with discussion of benefits and potential risks of supplemental oxygen use.

Domiciliary oxygen for children

Domiciliary oxygen is used increasingly in pediatric practice, and the largest patient group to receive it is ex-premature babies with chronic neonatal lung disease. Because of a scarcity of good evidence to inform clinicians, there is a lack of consensus over many issues, even those as fundamental as the optimum target oxygen saturation. Nevertheless, many children benefit from receiving supplemental oxygen at home, particularly because it helps to keep them out of the hospital.

Interventions in the paediatric sleep laboratory: the use and titration of respiratory support therapies

During sleep changes in central and peripheral neurological pathways and muscle tone result in unique vulnerabilities in the respiratory system. Abnormalities of the respiratory system that are not apparent in wakefulness can become evident during particular sleep states, making overnight polysomnography (PSG) a valuable diagnostic indicator of the source as well as the severity of the abnormality. In this review these respiratory disorders are grouped according to whether they are attributable to upper airway collapse, poor gas diffusion or inadequate ventilation (respiratory effort). Inadequate ventilation may be secondary to abnormal respiratory drive (control) or to inadequate pulmonary muscle function. As a diagnostic tool, overnight PSG can help distinguish whether the origin of the disorder is central or peripheral on the basis of which sleep state is associated with greatest abnormality. The most common treatment interventions include supplemental oxygen, continuous positive airway pressure and non-invasive ventilation. Ventilation may be with either pressure or volume cycle devices. Overnight PSG is used for the titration and monitoring of these treatments since all these forms of respiratory support require regular adjustment to match patient requirements. The methods for titration and goals of optimal therapy in the paediatric sleep laboratory are discussed.

Prescribing home oxygen

The new oxygen service—providing consistency throughout the UK

Going home: what NICU nurses need to know about home care

Pediatric home health care enables patients to be at home with their families in settings that bring them joy, comfort, and the security we all feel when we are at home. There is also a feeling, no matter how small, that the parents have some control over what is happening to their child. Infants with multiple needs require in-depth discharge planning. There are the physical and health concerns of the preterm infant and the potential complications that he could still develop. Parent teaching is vital for the successful transition from hopital to home. When the neonatal discharge nurse is aware of what difficulties the parents and the patient might face at home, her teaching can be tailored to meer the specific needs of these vulnerable, complicated infants. This article discusses the discharge planning process, which begins upon admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, as well as common problems encountered by many premature infants discharged home.

Assessment of hypoxia in children with cystic fibrosis

Hypoxia during sleep and exercise may occur in an important number of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite its recognition, no clear definition for hypoxia in CF exists, and nor do guidelines for commencing oxygen therapy. CF patients with hypoxia may have increased pulmonary artery pressure, reduced exercise ability, and skeletal muscle strength, and most importantly of all worse sleep quality, and a worse quality of life. Laboratory and rodent evidence exists to suggest that hypoxia may contribute to the decline in lung function in CF by upregulating lung inflammation, and encouraging growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most important pathogen associated with CF lung disease. The effects of hypoxia in childhood CF need to be fully studied, and a potential expanded role for oxygen as therapy in CF may be worthy of exploration.