Oxygen tent is a device that has been used in medicine for patients who require more oxygen than is normally contained in the air. Oxygen tents were once used extensively to treat oxygen deficiencies in infants and children. Physicians seldom use oxygen tents today.
Oxygen tents are made of plastic or other material through which oxygen cannot pass. Oxygen enters the tent through a hose. Some tents are dome-shaped hoods large enough to completely cover an infant. Others can cover an entire bed.
Newer methods of administering oxygen allow doctors and nurses to reach the patient more easily. Oxygen may be given through tubes inserted into the nostrils, or through a mask that is placed over the nose and mouth. Newborns may receive oxygen through a plexiglass hood placed over the head. Patients who have severe difficulty breathing may need machines called respirators (see Respirator ). People with carbon monoxide poisoning may be placed in a hyperbaric chamber, an airtight compartment in which oxygen is provided at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure.
