Croup Tent use for RSV

[Ramona]

We are located in an area that has a high episode of RSV during the months of October and March. We are currently doing research to find out if other hospitals use croup tents for RSV and Reactive Airway Diseas exacerbations.

We have several Pediatricians that want to use them and several that say research suggests they don't work. I personally have seen them help infants with difficulty breathing, rapid and shallow breathing, etc.

I would love to hear opinions.

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[adellisrn]

WE NEVER use them. Not even for croup now. We do humidify the air in the room though (if indicated) If they do not have a dry sounding cough or a lot of mucous than no we don't even use humidity.

Amanda

[pollux, RN]

We dont use them and I do not beleive they are so effective. We may use some humidity or Ice mask which are really effective! It sooth them fast and most of all, we do not have to use racemic as often.

[rck213]

How do you administer oxygen to infants and toddlers with RSV when they need it? We found they fight cannulas or masks therefore we still use the croup tent or tot hut. How do you humidify the room? Our hospital air is like the Sahara Desert and cool air mist units are no longer allowed.

[whohastratton]

Our hospital too sees a high incidence of RSV and we too have varying opinions on mist tents. It seems the family practice MD's that admt's kids use the mist tents while our pediatrician's do not. Our two pediatricians often treat RSV with frequent or even continuous albuteral treatments and support with O2 as needed. Hope this helps.

[jamistlc]

Greetings,

I have also seen them work for RSV in a rural, very rural hospital, very effective! My pt went home in 4 days as I recall. It also was used to reduce the fever the baby had and worked well for both the difficulty breathing and febrile condition!

Peace,

Jami :)

[NursediRN]

We have had this discussion on mist tents. We have a Pediatric Pulmonologist who will not use the mist tents, he feels that they do not work at all. For RSV he may use continuous albuterol, humidified O2. We use a nasal cannulas they have proven with our patients to be more effective. We can also use cool mist humidifiers in our facility. Maybe for the nurses that can't use the cool mist - could you hook up a humidification system on your air flow meter to flow open in the patient room???? In our facility we always use humidified O2 on children to prevent airway dryness, bleeding etc. This is rule of thumb for any nasal O2 for our children and this has been found to be very effective in reducing dryness, irritation of small airways etc. :)