Paediatric nebuliser help needed!

[catastrojb]

Hi - does anyone have experience of using a paediatric nebuliser to give your LO ventolin or similar? My dd (13 months) has just been prescribed one for wheezing, with no advice on how to actually get her to breathe through the mouthpiece for 10 seconds...! She just wants to chew it.

Any tips gratefully received! (and if anyone can suggest how to persuade nursery that no, she is not going to have a life-threatening reaction to the ventolin and therefore no, she does not need to be taken out of nursery for 2 days...that would be also appreciated! Grrrrr...)

[nellie12]

you need a face mask as well - supplied by chemist. then hold it over her face (doesn't have to be up against her face) at a downwards angle so that ventolin drifts towards her as flap is open.

That should be for about 2 minutes.

As for nursery - patient info leaflet and written instructions from you. They must have come across this before. HTh

[catastrojb]

It's got a small facemask that goes over mouth and nose - I'll try the angling thing. I guess even getting a little bit into her is going to help!

The nursery do have another LO with a nebuliser, so they know what to do, but the issue is that they ask that the children stay away for 2 days when they start a new medication in case they have a reaction to it. I can't afford to take another 2 days off (already had a few off due to her starting antibiotics and also having conjunctivitis...I have no-one else to take her for me!)

[nellie12]

with ventolin if she was going to have a reaction it would be straight away.

Anaphylactic reactions to any medication will never happen on the first dose its always 2nd or 3rd(sometime after much exposure but you cant run your life thinking that will happen)

The most you'll get otherwise is a possible facial rash - although doubtful as she's using a spacer.
she may have a slightly fast heartrate - this is normal for ventolin and probably not going to be detected by nursery.

You could try saying that as shes's had several doses it is unlikely that she will experience a reaction.
Cant think of anything else except that its horrible having a wheezy baby and working as you feel as though you should be off and cant be. Got that particular t-shirt but thankfully he's grown out of it now.

[BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny]

Pop the squishy mask over the end, this needs to go over her mouth and nose so you may need a hand with it, let her play with it first so she gets use to it as it can seem a little scary. Shake the ventolin (blue spray) a few times and put it in the opposite end, squirt it once and wait for her to take about 8 breaths before taking the inhaler out of the end, then shaking again and repeating for how many puffs she is supposto have.

Reactions to ventolin are very rare, they are normally a fast heartbeat.

[catastrojb]

Thank you both for your advice - this is very new to me (I have to admit to being relieved that a dr has finally prescribed it; I thought I was making it up, then as it became clear I wasn't I was a bit concerned....thankfully the blue lips only happened once or twice and hasn't for ages).

We tried again earlier this afternoon; she allowed the mask on for a few breaths; better than nothing! I'll just have to beg and plead with nursery, and hope that they are not rigid with the rules (although if they are so be it - and I would much rather be home keeping an eye on her and if I can blame nursery so much the better!)

Fingers crossed it is only temporary, although DH is asthmatic - I presume there is an hereditary aspect to it?

[catastrojb]

Oh, there's a difference? Sorry....it's a spacer and ventolin inhaler.