1999 OPEN FORUM Abstracts

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF DELIVERING NITRIC OXIDE USING AN OXYHOOD INSIDE AN INCUBATOR

Michael Tracy, RRT, Robert L. Chatburn, RRT, FAARC University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio

BACKGROUND: Previous work at our institution demonstrated that nitric oxide / oxygen (NO / O₂) mixtures could safely and effectively be delivered via oxyhood in an open environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if NO / O₂ mixtures could be delivered into the enclosed environment of a neonatal incubator and to determine the potential environmental threat outside of the incubator.

Methods: An oxyhood (7²´7²´7² Nova Tent House, Nova Health Systems, Blackwood, NJ) was set up with FIO₂ 0.40 and a flow of 15 L/m and NO concentration of 40 ppm. The hood was placed inside a Care Plus Isolette (Ohmeda, Madison, WI) neonatal incubator. An INOvent (INO Therapeutics, Clinton, NJ) was calibrated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The injector module was placed on the inlet side of the humidifier and the sample line was suspended in the center of the oxyhood to verify NO concentration. Single measurements were made after a 5 minute stabilization period. Data were first collected inside the hood then 10cm from the hood (inside the incubator). Finally, environmental data were collected from outside the incubator under simulated patient care conditions.

Results: Study data are shown below:

Under all simulated patient care conditions, NO / NO₂ concentrations outside the incubator remained under OSHA exposure limits (time weighted average NO = 25ppm, NO₂ = 3ppm; peak exposure level NO = 25 ppm; short term exposure level NO₂ = 5ppm).

Conclusions: Oxyhood delivery of NO / O₂ mixtures is not affected by an incubator. There is no environmental exposure threat posed by delivering NO / O₂ mixtures via oxyhoods inside an incubator.

OF-99-022