Accidentally Gave Too Much O2

mcdev

I posted on Special Needs too since many of them have experience with supplemental O2, but if any of you have any experience or knowledge of O2, please help me. ?I am freaking out right now.

Keira is on 1/8 liter O2 during her sleeping times. ?We use a tank during the day and an oxygen concentrator at night. ?Tonight I checked the regulator ?on the concentrator to make sure her O2 was set correctly (something I only do once in a while because we NEVER move it from 1/8) and when I checked it was at 3/4 liter! ?I have no idea how long her O2 has been bumped up like that. ? I am so so scared I have hurt Keira with this accident. ?Anyone have any thoughts or experiences like this? ?I am going to call pulmonary tomorrow, but was hoping to have my mind put at ease tonight.

TIA!?

Jessarella

We used oxygen too, but not on a continuous flow. I don't have any answers for you. But I just wanted to say I am sorry you are worrying, and I am sure she will be OK. Let us know what her pulmonologist says.

 

lstaylor73

I did something like this in reverse where I somehow forgot to turn the regulator valve open and Cameron wasn't getting any oxygen and he should have been on 1/4 litre.  He was like this for about 4 hours I think.  In the end he was just fine and never had any apneas during that time.

I am no expert but think that Keira will be just fine. It's not a prolonged exposure where harm was done because of a mass quantity of pure O2, which would be something measured in terms of days and weeks and not in hours, which is probably what happened at worst.  I'm sure that at some point she was at 3/4 in her NICU stay so this is not something more than she's ever had to deal with before.  Call your pulmonologist and see what they say but I'm fairly certain this shouldn't be an issue. 

Try not to beat yourself up about this.  She is fine right now right?  No apneas, no bradys, her color is fine and she is responsive in a normal way right?  You are a good mom and things just happen.  We found out that our condenser was very sensitive and we had to check it often "just in case" it got bumped higher or lower.  But our pulmonologist told me that true damage happens when there is a greater quantity of pure O2 in conjunction the amount of time on that purer concentration of O2.  It doesn't sound like she was on it for so long there would be any damage.

Hugs!

mcdev

Thank you so much. ?I am hysterically in tears on the couch right now and am so fearful that something I neglected to do could have caused a setback or harm to my little girl. ?Your words have made me feel a little better. ?I knew I came to the right place for help. ?Thank you.

preemieparent

I wouldn't worry about it at all.   When Olivia gets sick we have bumped her rate up by about the same amount (1/4 to 3/4 or even 1) and the docs have had us keep her at a higher rate even when she's getting better.   It just means so she got a little extra help

When they worry about the extra/prolonged oxygen exposure that is more related to when kids are on the vent because it is a pressurized amount that is being blown directly into their lungs, etc, ect.

Bottom line - nothing to worry about.    Like Lstaylor - I have done the opposite and not given Olivia any on accident.  

This is just a thought from a total non-medical person - depending on how long it's been at an increased rate, that could have affected how well Keira did on her no O2 test.   You might want to ask about retesting her after about a week on the correct rate.   Her body may react better to being without it.

 

MrsBrownsFan

I responded to you on the SN board, but I wanted to add my two cents here as well.  Since you seem like you would be past the point of ROP, the only thing I could think of is that she might have trouble readjusting to the lower flow if she was at 3/4 L for a while.  Do you have a pulseox that you can spot check her with?

A lot of people on home oxygen do adjust the flow to take into account things like illness, congestion, etc., as preemieparent said.  I am sure you will feel better once you talk to the pulmonologist, but I hope you are not beating yourself up about it...I will be thinking about you!

mcdev

Thank you, all of you, for putting my mind at ease. I left a message this morning and I am still waiting to hear back from the dr. ?(Actually I m STILL waiting to hear back from her for her recommendations on our trial run with no O2 10 days ago!!!) ?

And as for beating myself up......come on now, aren't we moms the best at that?! ?I've been driving myself crazy. ?I mean, HOW did this happen and I not know?! ?Your replies all helped though. ?Thanks again!