Ambulatory oxygen in chronic heart failure.
Ambulatory oxygen therapy may be of benefit in bicycle exercise tests. We have assessed the effects of ambulatory oxygen during walk tests in 12 patients with chronic heart failure. In 6 min walks with the patient breathing air, mean (SD) arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) fell from 94.4 (3.7)% at rest to 90.1 (6.1)% (p = 0.014) on exercise. 21/min oxygen increased resting SaO2 from 93.7 (4.0)% (air cylinder) to 96.5 (3.0)% (p < 0.001) with no effect on minimum SaO2, distance, or breathlessness. During endurance walks, 4 l/min oxygen increased minimum SaO2 from 90.4 (5.6)% to 93.5 (4.7)% (p = 0.011) but also had no effect on breathlessness or distance. Ambulatory oxygen in currently available cylinders cannot be recommended for patients with chronic heart failure.
Restrick
L J
LJ
Department of Thoracic Medicine, London Chest Hospital, UK.
Davies
S W
SW
Noone
L
L
Wedzicha
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000379:methods
D010100:Oxygen