title: Solar-powered oxygen delivery: proof of concept.
abstract: METHODS
  A resource-limited paediatric hospital in Uganda.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Pneumonia is a leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Access to life-saving oxygen therapy is limited in many areas. We designed and implemented a solar-powered oxygen delivery system for the treatment of paediatric pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proof-of-concept pilot study. A solar-powered oxygen delivery system was designed and piloted in a cohort of children with hypoxaemic illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The system consisted of 25 × 80 W photovoltaic solar panels (daily output 7.5 kWh [range 3.8-9.7kWh]), 8 × 220 Ah batteries and a 300 W oxygen concentrator (output up to 5 l/min oxygen at 88% [±2%] purity). A series of 28 patients with hypoxaemia were treated with solar-powered oxygen. Immediate improvement in peripheral blood oxygen saturation was documented (median change +12% [range 5-15%], P < 0.0001). Tachypnoea, tachycardia and composite illness severity score improved over the first 24 h of hospitalisation (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). The case fatality rate was 6/28 (21%). The median recovery times to sit, eat, wean oxygen and hospital discharge were respectively 7.5 h, 9.8 h, 44 h and 4 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Solar energy can be used to concentrate oxygen from ambient air and oxygenate children with respiratory distress and hypoxaemia in a resource-limited setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mulago Hospital and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Opoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Jinja, Uganda.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namasopo
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mulago Hospital and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Sandra A Rotman Laboratories, McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Toronto, Canada; McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine, Toronto, Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kain
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hawkes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012993:Solar Energy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014454:Uganda
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen