Domiciliary oxygen and hypoxic cor pulmonale

Long-term domiciliary oxygen has become an established therapy for hypoxic cor pulmonale associated with obstructive airways disease. Critical evaluation of patients to receive such treatment remains of great importance. Not all hypoxaemic patients will necessarily require therapy. The interaction of drug therapy with oxygen will assume increasing importance as new drugs such as almitrine bismesylate become available. Finally long-term oxygen must be clearly distinguished from portable oxygen and short burst oxygen which have quite different indications.