[Efficacy of demand oxygen delivery systems in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease]

To maintain mobility in patients with chronic hypoxemia who are under long-term oxygen therapy, portable oxygen systems are available. They have the disadvantage of a short range. To prolong the range and to reduce the cost of oxygen treatment, demand oxygen delivery systems (DODS) are used. Aim of the study was to compare three DODS (DOC-2000 [D], TransTracheal Inc.; Oxytron [O], Weinmann; Pulsair [P], DeVilbiss, Sunrise Medical) with continuous oxygen delivery. 17 patients (age 67.82 +/- 9.46 years; FEV1 1.23 +/- 0.69 l; PaO2 48.8 +/- 6.7 mm Hg) were studied. The continuous flow oxygen (CONT) and the DODS were applied to the patients for 30 minutes each in random sequence with an airflow of 2 l/min. After 15 and 30 minutes arterial blood gas analysis was done. Oxygen saturation was recorded continuously by pulseoximetry. After 15 minutes no significant differences in PaO2 were found between CONT and DODS. After 30 minutes no significant difference in PaO2 was found in CONT as compared to P. Significant lower PaO2 values were found for O and D as compared to CONT (p < 0.01). With P the range of a portable oxygen source was increased by 161.5 percent, with O by 172 percent, with D the range was increased by only 17.2 percent. Prolongation of range of a portable oxygen source can be achieved by means of DODS without a decrease of PaO2 and thus without loss of quality of the oxygen treatment. However, there are differences in efficacy between the DODS.