title: Descriptive analysis of oxygen use in Australian emergency departments.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the supplemental oxygen use in hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Victoria. A prospective exploratory design was used. All patients attending the three-study EDs during the data-collection periods and who could give informed consent were eligible for inclusion. A total of 346 patients were recruited and the prevalence of oxygen administration was 48.3%. The most common reasons for oxygen administration were shortness of breath (40.1%), chest pain (34.7%) and hypoxaemia (29.9%). Patients who received oxygen were older (P<0.001), had higher incidence of ambulance transport to ED (P<0.001) and hospital admission (P<0.001) and higher median respiratory (P<0.001) and median heart rates (P=0.008). Oxygen is a major component of emergency care. Patients who received oxygen were more likely to have clear evidence of physiological abnormalities; however, oxygen decision-making warrants more detailed investigation.
authors.affiliation: Deakin University-Northern Health Clinical Partnership, Burwood, Victoria, Australia. julie.considine@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Considine
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000628:therapy; D003657:Decision Making; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014739:Victoria