By Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
Constructing a Homemade Steam Tent
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Inhaling warm steamy air helps a variety of respiratory disorders. These include croup, bronchitis, and pneumonia. It is also useful for treatment of patients with thick bronchial secretions that are having trouble coughing them up. Using a steam tent is an appropriate way to provide this treatment to patients who need it.
The tent itself is constructed out of clear 4-mil polyethylene plastic. There are two simple designs. The first is for a square tent that sits at the head of the patient's bed covering the upper part of the body. This design is constructed using twelve 1"
x2"x3' pieces of pine wood, 4-mil polyethylene plastic, duct tape, nails, scissors, hammer, handsaw, and a staple gun. Alternatively, the structure can be made using 1 inch PCV pipe. The second is the tepee tent that is made from polyethylene, string, and duct tape. It is suspended with string from the ceiling above the patient's bed.
The square steam tent
(Image No Longer Available)
The dimensions of a square tent should be about 3 ft wide x 3 ft long x 3 ft deep. The lower front side of the tent frame square is not completed to allow the patient's body to protrude under the front flap of the tent. Build the top square first. Attach the four connecting corners. Then connect the three lower pieces to the corners. Cut one of the 3f pieces of wood in half and use these as cross braces between the vertical front corner pieces and horizontal front upper square piece. Without the braces, the square will be unstable.
Cut two 3'x3' sheets and six 3'x2' sheets outof the polyethylene. Place duck tape around the perimeter of each sheet to prevent rips and provide a sturdy surface to staple into. Attach the 3'x3' sheets to the top and back of the frame using the staple gun or duct tape. Attach the 3'x2' sheets to the top and corners of the front, right and left sides of the frame allowing them the overlap in the middle of the frame. Do not attach the plastic to the side lower pieces of the frame. This allows the side flaps to be moved out of the way when you need to care for the patient. When the flaps are closed, the overlapping segments prevent the steamy air from escaping. The front flaps move aside to allow the patient's torso to lay under it.
Cut a square 6-inch window into back of the tent and line the perimeter with duck tape. This is needed to allow fresh air to enter the tent. Place the tent at the head of the patient's bed.
The tepee steam tent(Image No Longer Available)
Cut a 10'x10' square section of polyethylene plastic. Lay the cut sheet on the floor and pick a point about halfway along the left and right sides of the sheet. Draw a 4' 6" line from the edge toward the center of the sheet perpendicular to the edge on both sides. Cut the sheet along these guide lines using a pair of scissors. This will leave a 1' section in the middle of the sheet undivided. Apply duct to this 1'x1' square in the middle of the tent. Completely cover the 1 square foot with successive and slightly overlapping pieces of tape.
Turn the sheet over and apply a second 1'x1' square layer of duct tape to the other side of the sheet in the same place as the first one. Pick up the plastic sheet and place a broom upright under the middle of the tape square. Using your hand, hold the taped plastic down over the handle making a tubular shape about 4" long that protrudes above the level of the top of the tent. Remove the handle and wrap tape around this tubular shape tightly compressing it. Tie one end of a string around the taped protrusion. Attach the other end to the ceiling above the patient's bed. The string needs to be long enough for the edges of the tepee to hang down below the sides of the bed. Arrange the tepee so the open right and left sides of the sheet allow for easy access to the patient. Leave the flaps slightly open to allow fresh air to circulate in the tent.
Making steam
A teakettle makes an excellent boiler. Place the kettle on an electric eye or other heat source near the patient's bed. Attach a garden hose to the kettles spout and place the end of the hose into the tent. Bring the water in the kettle to a boil whenever you want to fill the tent with steam. The kettle must not be left unattended, as there is a fire hazard if the water runs out of it. So be careful. Alternatively, you could use a facial sauna device to make the steam for the tent.¹
Contamination of the tent with bacteria and fungi
Because bacteria, fungi, and mold will contaminate the interior of tents quickly under these conditions it may be necessary for you to clean the interior of the tent from time to time. One way to do this is by spraying it with a 1:10 unscented bleach solution, letting this remain in contact with the plastic for 10 minutes, then wiping it down and repeat. Place the tent in the sun to dry, as this will take advantage of the UV light of the sun to provide some additional antimicrobial protection. If you plan to use the tent for more than one person, be sure and follow this sanitizing procedure between patients even if the tent look clean or was only used briefly by the other patient. It is not possible to see contamination organisms that will be there under these circumstances.
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¹ Thanks to Will Stewart for this suggestion http://www.pandemic-planning.com
Steam Tent-Make Your Own
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