[Long-term oxygen therapy].
Two studies showed that continuous long-term oxygen therapy (> 15 h/d) undoubtedly confers a significant benefit on survival in hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This treatment should be prescribed to stable patients with a PaO2 < 7.3 kPa or a PaO2 < 8 kPa and either previous episodes of ankle edema, pulmonary hypertension or a haematocrit > 55%. Patients who are hypoxemic only during exercise can also benefit from mobile oxygen therapy. However, the Swiss Society of Pneumology does not recommend treating patients with isolated nocturnal hypoxemia, unless they suffer from central apnea and are shown to be responders. The characteristics of the three methods of oxygen delivery for domiciliary treatment are discussed in this review.
Gex
Grégoire
G
Service de médecine interne générale, HUG, Genève. Gregoire.Gex@hcuge.ch
Janssens
Jean-Paul
JP
D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000628:therapy*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*