Physics
Mitigating exhalation puffs during oxygen therapy for respiratory disease
Document Type
Article
Abstract
We investigate the dispersal of exhalations corresponding to a patient experiencing shortness of breath while being treated for a respiratory disease with oxygen therapy. Respiration through a nasal cannula and a simple O2 mask is studied using a supine manikin equipped with a controllable mechanical lung by measuring aerosol density and flow with direct imaging. Exhalation puffs are observed to travel 0.35 ± 0.02 m upward while wearing a nasal cannula, and 0.29 ± 0.02 m laterally through a simple O2 mask, posing a higher direct exposure risk to caregivers. The aerosol-laden air flows were found to concentrate in narrow conical regions through both devices at several times their concentration level compared with a uniform spreading at the same distance. We test a mitigation strategy by placing a surgical mask loosely over the tested devices. The mask is demonstrated to alleviate exposure by deflecting the exhalations from being launched directly above a supine patient. The surgical mask is found to essentially eliminate the concentrated aerosol regions above the patient over the entire oxygenation rates used in treatment in both devices.
Publication Title
Physics of Fluids
Publication Date
8-2021
Volume
33
Issue
8
ISSN
1070-6631
DOI
10.1063/5.0057227
Keywords
oxygen therapy, respiratory disease, exhalation puffs, breathing
Repository Citation
Kudrolli, Arshad; Chang, Brian; Consalvi, Jade; Deti, Anton; Frechette, Christopher; Scoville, Helen; Sheinfeld, Geoffrey R.; and McGee, William T., "Mitigating exhalation puffs during oxygen therapy for respiratory disease" (2021). Physics. 85.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_physics/85
Cross Post Location
Student Publications
