Home oxygen therapy after hospital discharge

Home oxygen therapy is increasingly prescribed for various conditions in the neonatal period, particularly for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Due to limited evidence on indication, minimal target oxygen saturation, monitoring, application and discontinuation of home oxygen therapy clinical practice varies widely throughout the world. International guidelines provide recommendations mostly on the basis of nonsystematic clinical observations. Most relevant points for the clinical management of home oxygen therapy include a minimal target oxygen saturation of equal to or greater than 93%, the provision of a home monitoring of oxygen saturation ideally with a memory function, and the conduct of continuous overnight oximetry or polysomnography during weaning from supplemental oxygen. This review summarizes relevant literature as well as existing guidelines and recommendations on home oxygen therapy to aid clinicians in the management of these patients and identifies areas for future research.