Related Experiment Videos
Ambulatory oxygen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
1Department of Physiological Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, Level 0, Jenner Wing, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK, SW17 0RE. fram@sghms.ac.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|June 22, 2002
Summary
Limited evidence exists for ambulatory domiciliary oxygen therapy in COPD patients. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of long-term oxygen use for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Respiratory Care
Background:
- Effectiveness of ambulatory domiciliary oxygen therapy is largely unknown.
- Current practices in the UK (small cylinders) differ from the USA/Italy (liquid systems).
- Both systems are used without robust evidence of efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of long-term ambulatory domiciliary oxygen therapy.
- Focus on patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of the Cochrane Airways Group trials register and bibliographies.
- Inclusion of randomized controlled trials comparing ambulatory oxygen therapy to placebo.
- Data abstraction and verification by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- Only two studies (70 patients) met inclusion criteria.
- One study showed significant effects in 9 severely hypoxic patients: reduced minute ventilation and increased PaO2.
- The second study included patients without resting hypoxemia.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence is insufficient to conclude on the effectiveness of ambulatory domiciliary oxygen therapy for COPD.
- Further research is necessary to define the role of ambulatory oxygen in COPD management.
- Future studies should differentiate between patients who desaturate and those who do not.