Expert: Neal Okerson - 10/3/2009

Question
My 11 year old daughter is currently sick right now ,she has multiple health issues.She has bronchietasis, my question is. I just put her on bipap I couldn't find the adaptor for the bipap machine which allow me to bleed oxygen through the bipap if she needs it.On the side of the mask there are two like ports I cut one of her oxygen tubing and put  that on one side of the port to bleed the oxygen into it because her saturation are 57% without any oxygen.I'm currently bleeding 5 liters through it right now and she is sitting around 93%.I opened the other end of the port to allow the air to come out.Now doing this will it allow her to blow off some co2?and what symptoms should I look out for if her co2 is to high? because she is non-verbal.

Answer
Yvette,
The machines that I have worked with in the past had an exhalation port manufactured into the circuit. (Right at the start of the circuit.)You shouldn't have to leave the port open for the CO2. Check with the supplier of the machine to be sure. They know their product better than me!
Neal