title: Opportunities and risks of using heliox in your clinical practice.
abstract: Helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) has been advocated for clinical use since 1934, and there has been a growing array of clinical applications. Until recently, administering heliox has required jury-rigging by modifications and/or extension of available devices not designed for use with heliox. This paper reviews devices required to administer heliox and considers how devices designed to deliver air and/or oxygen have been adapted for use with heliox. Use of devices outside of their design limits adds risk and liability, whereas using Food-and-Drug-Administration cleared devices for heliox administration reduces the risk and liability.
authors.affiliation: Nektar Therapeutics, 2071 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. jfink@ca.nektar.com
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004867:Equipment Design; D006371:Helium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical; D014939:Work of Breathing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006371:Helium; C038949:heliox; D010100:Oxygen