Premises: Acute respiratory failure caused by respiratory diseases, which is a frequent pathology in infants and young children, requires oxygen therapy, which can be administered by different devices. Objectives: To evaluate the efficiency of two devices for oxygen administration by determining a clinical appraisal score for acute respiratory failure in infants and young children by oxygen therapy using simple face masks and nasal cannulas. Material and methods: 74 children, aged between one month and 3 years were included in our study. Oxygen therapy was administered by face mask to 38 patients, and by nasal cannula to 36 patients. A clinical appraisal score of respiratory failure was calculated both before and after oxygen therapy. Oxygen saturation was measured by pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) and arterial or capillary blood gas (SaO 2 ) before, and 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the initiation of oxygen therapy. Results: We found an improvement in the clinical score regardless of the method of administration; this improvement was more obvious at 60 minutes than at the 30 min evaluation (p < 0.001). The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.0001) for all the measurements (baseline vs. 30 minutes, baseline vs. 60 minutes, 30 minutes vs. 60 minutes). An increase in both SaO 2 and SpO 2 values was found (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The clinical score for acute respiratory failure and the SaO 2 and SpO 2 values significantly improved after oxygen therapy.

Oxygen therapy is the main treatment method for acute respiratory failure in children. The method consisting in the administration of oxygen therapy by head box to infants is frequently used in pediatric practice. Objectives. To evaluate the efficiency of oxygen therapy administered by head box to infants suffering from pneumonic acute respiratory failure by comparing two methods for measuring hemoglobin oxygen saturation: in arterialized capillary blood and by pulse oximetry. Material and method. 30 infants suffering from pneumonic acute respiratory failure were studied. We used a clinical appraisal score for acute respiratory failure, which appraises respiratory rate, nasal flaring, recession, cyanosis, sensorial, before and after oxygen therapy. In arterialized capillary blood we measured partial pressure of oxygen and hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and we used an Automatic Blood Gas System analyzer. We also measured hemoglobin oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter. Determinations were made before the initiation of oxygen therapy, and 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the initiation of oxygen therapy. Results. As compared to the baseline values, determined before the initiation of oxygen therapy, we recorded a statistically significant improvement in the clinical score both after 30 minutes and 60 minutes from the initiation of oxygen therapy (p<0.001). The improvement was greater after 60 minutes. The increase in the partial pressure of oxygen was statistically significant both at the 30 minute and 60 minute determination (p<0.001). Both methods of SaO2 measurement recorded statistically significant increases (p<0.001) in this variable after 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. Conclusions. Oxygen therapy administered by head box improves acute respiratory failure appraised by clinical score. The administration of oxygen therapy by head box to infants significantly increases the values of partial pressure of oxygen and hemoglobin oxygen saturation measured in capillary blood, as well as the values of hemoglobin oxygen saturation determined by pulse oximeter both after 30 minutes and after 60 minutes. The increases in the three parameters are larger after 60 minutes. There is statistically significant concordance between the values of hemoglobin oxygen saturation determined in capillary blood and by pulse oximetry at all determinations.