Heliox is a mixture of?

AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Explanation

Heliox is a therapeutic gas mixture composed of helium and oxygen, as stated in nursing and pediatric textbooks.
The name itself is a portmanteau of its components: 'Hel-' from Helium and '-ox' from Oxygen.
The primary benefit comes from helium's low density, which is much lower than nitrogen (the main component of air).
This low density reduces airway resistance and the work of breathing, especially in conditions with narrowed airways like asthma or croup.
It helps convert turbulent, inefficient airflow in constricted passages back to smoother, more effective laminar flow.

Option B: A mixture of helium and carbon dioxide (CO₂) is not used as a therapeutic breathing gas. Administering CO₂ would counteract the goal of improving gas exchange and could lead to hypercapnia (elevated CO₂ in the blood).
Option C: Hydrogen is a highly flammable gas and is not used in respiratory therapy for safety reasons.
Option D: The therapeutic principle of Heliox is to replace the nitrogen found in ambient air with less-dense helium. A mixture of helium and nitrogen would not contain the essential oxygen needed for life.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Composition and therapeutic use of Heliox as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Heliox is a valuable tool in emergency settings for patients with severe upper airway obstruction (e.g., croup, post-extubation stridor) and status asthmaticus, as it can ease breathing while other treatments take effect.
Nurses must be aware that because helium is less dense than air, specialized flowmeters calibrated for helium must be used to ensure accurate delivery of the gas.
The oxygen concentration in the Heliox mixture must be carefully selected to meet the patient's oxygenation needs. A patient who is hypoxic requires a mixture with a higher fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂), such as 70/30 or 60/40.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for the components of 'Heliox'.
Recognize that 'Heliox' is a medical term. Often, such terms are contractions of their components.
Break down the word: 'Hel-' strongly suggests 'Helium', and '-ox' strongly suggests 'Oxygen'.
Evaluate the options based on this linguistic clue. 'Helium + oxygen' is a direct match.
Confirm this with your knowledge of respiratory therapies. Recall that helium is used for its low density to ease breathing, and oxygen is essential for life, making this combination logical.
Eliminate the other options as they are either unsafe (hydrogen), counter-therapeutic (CO₂), or illogical (nitrogen, which Heliox replaces).

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 731-733

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 663-665