If you have a patient who you think needs home oxygen, please refer them to the paediatric respiratory service, either directly to the consultant on service or via the registrar. Your patient will be integrated into the weekly paediatric respiratory MDT meetings and their follow up managed using established home oxygen protocols. Please also contact the specialist paediatric respiratory nurses on 42116 as soon as possible as it is helpful if they are also involved early in the process.
CHILDREN WHO MAY NEED OXYGEN AT HOME
- Children who are otherwise medically fit for discharge, in whom oxygen is the most appropriate form of respiratory support, and in whom stable or predictable oxygen requirements have been established before discharge.
- Children who are unwell and potentially unstable, where oxygen therapy may be part of a palliative approach to symptom management.
The paediatric respiratory team will assess children referred for home oxygen, establish that the patient is suitable for home oxygen and assess their requirements. The team will organise discharge planning for patients going home with oxygen, and coordinate appropriate education and training, delivery of oxygen into the home and early follow-up. The guideline below gives information about getting home oxygen for your patient during working hours and also in the rare event that it is needed out of hours.