[Long-term oxygen treatment (author's transl)]

Lung function was assessed repeatedly at variable intervals in 12 patients with severe manifest respiratory partial insufficiency. The purpose was to control the effect of long-term oxygen treatment (on average 7 months, oxygen insufflation for 16 h/d) commenced as in-patients and continued at home using oxygen concentrators. It was shown that the actual oxygen administration was shorter than prescribed. The readiness for cooperation of patients decreased with prolonged application of oxygen. Using long-term oxygen treatment and continuation of established forms of treatment a mean PaO2 increase of 6 mm Hg was achieved without concomitant relevant hypercapnia. Increases of PaO2 were the more pronounced the longer oxygen insufflation lasted during night and day. Alveolo-arterial O2 partial pressure difference decreased continuously. Lowering of alveolar hypoxia and arterial hypoxaemia led to diminished pulmonary arterial pressure at rest and during exercise as well as to a significant improvement of the haematocrit. Static and dynamic lung volumes only marginal improvements.