Oxigenoterapia domiciliar em crianças: relato de sete anos de experiência

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.

[Chronic dependence on mechanical pulmonary ventilation in pediatric care: a necessary debate for Brazil's Unified Health System]

People with prolonged dependence on mechanical ventilation require permanent care and the use of equipment that can result in longer term hospital internment. This can lead to difficulty of access for patients with acute injuries, as well as personal difficulties and stress with reduced quality of life for their families or caregivers due to such longer hospital internment. This critical review of publications dealing with dependence on mechanical ventilation among children and adolescents aimed at making information organized in a systematic manner available in order to support discussion on the subject. It should be borne in mind that changes in epidemiological profile and growing technological access determine needs such as intensive therapy hospital beds and complex home care for chronic patients, which still have limits of supply and regulatory restrictions in the Brazilian public health system.

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.

Acute viral bronchiolitis and its sequelae in developing countries

Acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB) is a common disease found throughout the world. Various aspects of it are being studied: its epidemiology, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Most of these studies are being conducted in developed countries, with only a few taking place in developing countries. Risk factors such as poor nutrition, an adverse environment and early weaning should be studied where these features are common. Treatment aspects such as cost-effectiveness in low income settings need further study. Use of ribavirin and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-immunoglobulin are good examples. Post-bronchiolitic sequelae also need to be studied in low income countries. There is evidence that bronchiolitis obliterans is unusually frequent in some Latin-American countries such as Argentina and Brazil. It will be helpful to undertake combined studies in countries with the same socio-economics, investigating the preventive and management aspects of AVB and its sequelae to reduce the morbidity and mortality.