Chattanooga Breathing Treatment FAQs

Breathing treatments or nebulizer treatments are a form of respiratory therapy that can help to treat and prevent breathing distress. Children with asthma and other respiratory infections can benefit from the nebulizer treatments. The treatments can be administered in our office and are painless.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about nebulizer breathing treatments:

• What is a breathing treatment?
• A breathing treatment refers to the delivery of aerosolized medication through a machine called a nebulizer. The medication is delivered through a mask or mouth piece to young or ill patients who otherwise could not effectively receive the correct medication or dosage using an inhaler.

• How long does it take to receive a breathing treatment?
• The breathing treatments performed at NiteOwl Pediatrics + Adults take 15 minutes, on average, from start to finish.

• What conditions would benefit from a breathing treatment?
• Breathing treatments are most often used for children with asthma exacerbations (heightened symptoms), wheezing and croup. Infants with bronchiolitis may also benefit from treatments with either a bronchodilator or saline, depending on their medical history.

• Are there any preparations necessary to begin a breathing treatment?
• Preparations for a breathing treatment are the same as for any other treatment at our facility. A full set of vital signs, history and physical exam will be taken before a treatment is ordered. If determined necessary, it usually takes 5-10 minutes to get a treatment set up and running.

• How does the staff of NiteOwl Pediatrics + Adults make the service more child friendly?
• All of our staff are experienced treating children and explain the procedure to each child at their level of understanding. We tell the child that the machine will make some noise, but will not hurt them in any way. We have masks that look like animals and some adapted to work with pacifiers. Each treatment room also has a large, flat-screen television complete with children’s movies and TV shows.

• What equipment do you use?
• We use jet nebulizers with various mask types or mouthpieces for older children. We are equipped with nebulized albuterol, ipratropium bromide (atrovent), racemic epinephrine and saline.

Breathing treatments are used in children of all ages when indicated. However, infants under 3 months that appear to be wheezing or in any type of respiratory distress need to be evaluated immediately in the nearest children’s emergency department.