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Oxygen supplementation in the delivery room: T-piece resuscitator cap open or occluded?

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 1078–1080 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective

Updated neonatal resuscitation guidelines for free-flow oxygen administration with a T-piece resuscitator recommend higher gas flow and an open T-piece cap. We aimed to determine the effect of gas inflow rate and cap occlusion on oxygen delivery through a T-piece resuscitator.

Study design

Using a NeoPuff™ T-piece, oxygen inflow was randomly adjusted from 4 to 10 liters per minute (LPM). Gas outflow and oxygen concentration were measured with the T-piece cap open and occluded. Data were analyzed with repeated measures 2-way ANOVA.

Result

Gas outflow was significantly decreased with the T-piece cap open compared with occluded at each inflow rate (p < 0.001). There was no difference in oxygen concentration of the outflow gas.

Conclusion

Gas flow from the T-piece is affected by the inflow rate and cap occlusion but oxygen concentration is not. To deliver 5 LPM of free-flow oxygen with the cap open, a minimum of 8 LPM gas inflow is required.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Tony Iannetta, RRT for his assistance with set up of the testing devices.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Lindsay Ellsworth, Meera Meerkov & Gary Weiner

  2. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – Women and Child Health Department, University of Padova-Azienda Ospedaliera Di Padova, Padova, Italy

    Nicoletta Doglioni & Daniele Trevisanuto

Authors
  1. Lindsay Ellsworth
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  2. Meera Meerkov
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  3. Nicoletta Doglioni
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  4. Daniele Trevisanuto
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  5. Gary Weiner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lindsay Ellsworth.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Ellsworth, L., Meerkov, M., Doglioni, N. et al. Oxygen supplementation in the delivery room: T-piece resuscitator cap open or occluded?. J Perinatol 39, 1078–1080 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0406-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0406-x

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