title: Acute use of oxygen therapy.
abstract: A major change is needed in the entrenched culture of routinely administering high-concentration oxygen to acutely ill patients regardless of need. Oxygen is a drug that should be prescribed for specific indications. There should be a documented target range for oxygen saturation, and regular monitoring of the patient's response. There are risks from unrelieved hypoxaemia due to insufficient oxygen therapy, and from provoked hyperoxaemia due to excessive oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy should therefore be titrated so that the saturation is within a range that avoids these risks. If oxygen requirements are increasing, the clinician should review the patient and consider transfer to a higher level of care. If oxygen requirements are decreasing, consider reducing or discontinuing oxygen therapy.
authors.affiliation: Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pilcher
authors.affiliation: Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beasley
keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; hypercapnia; hypoxaemia; oxygen inhalation therapy