[Long term oxygen therapy: many hopes, little proof]

Long-term oxygen therapy extends the life span of hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patients often have great expectations concerning the quality of life, but oxygen therapy does neither relieve dyspnea nor reduce the need for hospital treatments. Oxygen therapy in diseases other than COPD lacks scientific basis. It is worthwhile to start in-hospital oxygen therapy by determining the oxygen flow with a device given to the patient, and the effect of the therapy on the nocturnal accumulation of carbon dioxide is checked. In the future, focus should be on other forms of therapy, such as rehabilitation.