Designed and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American Association for Respiratory Care
Management of Pediatric Patients With Oxygen in the Acute Care Setting
Patient Guideline Summary
Publication Date: June 30, 2021
Last Updated: March 2, 2023
Objective
Objective
This patient summary means to discuss key recommendations from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) for the management of pediatric patients with oxygen in the acute care setting. It is limited to adults 18 years of age and older and should not be used as a reference for children.
Overview
Overview
- Oxygen is frequently used for hospitalized patients with respiratory disease or other conditions that benefit from enhanced oxygen.
- This patient summary focuses on the management of supplemental oxygen in hospitalized children.
Treatment
Treatment
The AARC recommends:
- a low-flow oxygen device for consistent oxygen, rather than an oxygen hood or tent.
- a high-flow nasal cannula rather than low-flow oxygen to treat infants with moderate to severe bronchiolitis.
- an oxygenation target of 90% or greater in hospitalized pediatric patients suffering from bronchiolitis.
- establishing a patient/disease oxygen therapy target upon admission for hospitalized pediatric patients with respiratory diseases other than bronchiolitis, but a specific target cannot be recommended.
Abbreviations
- AARC: American Association For Respiratory Care
Source Citation
Napolitano N, Berlinski A, Walsh BK, Ginier E, Strickland SL. AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Pediatric Patients With Oxygen in the Acute Care Setting. Respir Care. 2021 Jul;66(7):1214-1223. doi: 10.4187/respcare.09006. Epub 2021 Mar 31. PMID: 33790048.
Disclaimer
The information in this patient summary should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.