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        Supporter's Corner >> Children and Cluster's >> What air flow should I use?
        
(Message started by: xaronne on May 31^st, 2006, 8:24am)

Title: What air flow should I use?
Post by xaronne on May 31^st, 2006, 8:24am

I have now received the clustermasx which we will be trying later on today as recommended. My son's neurologist says 5 but is this enough? Also how long should a 5 1/2 year old boy be on oxygen? If the pain does not pass within 10 mins as seems to be the average, how long is it safe for him to keep inhaling pure o2??

Title: Re: What air flow should I use?
Post by E-Double on May 31^st, 2006, 8:51am

I am not going topretend that I am a pediatrician so just take what I say with a grain of salt.

Adult Clusterheads tend to find relief using 8-15 lpm.

The Clustermasx has helped many of us abort quicker.

I do not know if the flow rate will effect a little guy's lungs differently.

The pressure is not strong but the flow at a higher rate is just that....faster. This means that we do not have to wait longer for the bag to refill.

The key is not to waste the Oxygen.
Now that you have the mask, this will not occur nearly as much as if you didn't.

If it were my child, I might start off at a lower rate because his lungs are smaller thus not needing to have the bag filling up so rapidly. There will probably oxygen left over between breathes unlike an adult, so a lower rate, 5-6 might be enough to do the trick.

You can always increease it gradually if your regulator has the capability.

As far as duration goes, For an adult, if it doesn't pass within 10-15 minutes, we tend to put it down and try again. With the Clustermasx it has worked in 5 minutes for me.

For a child I (not a doctor) would try the 7- 10, if he can tolerate it.

You can have him practice holding and wearing the mask prior to an attack.

Good luck and hugs to both of you!!!

Eric

Title: Re: What air flow should I use?
Post by marlinsfan on May 31^st, 2006, 4:32pm

Eric, you'll find that although the lungs are smaller, babies breath much faster.

xaronne: the clustermasx comes with a bunch of different sizes of bags. You should try the smallest bag first. IF you find that it's too big, you can always make your own plastic bag smaller and tie it with a piece of tape.

Title: Re: What air flow should I use?
Post by LeLimey on May 31^st, 2006, 4:54pm

Sharonne.. Jasper won't use it at less than 15LPM.. he can HEAR when its right for him and he throws a wobbly if it isn't "just so".
Darren will eventually work out where he is happiest with it, As Jose says though, he seems to need it at the 15LPM but I did always thing he could hear it being the same as how I use it and he wanted it to be the same.
Jasper has been on it for 20-30 minutes at a time, pre-clustermasx and I didn't take it away from him until he was happy to let it go.
You're a good mum and you'll both be fine :)
love
me! xxx

Title: Re: What air flow should I use?
Post by E-Double on May 31^st, 2006, 5:59pm

Ya just got wonderful advice from the best mum.

Title: Re: What air flow should I use?
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Aug 4^th, 2006, 8:40pm

on 05/31/06 at 17:59:21, E-Double wrote:

Ya just got wonderful advice from the best mum.

Ditto