| Clinical experience of long-term home oxygen therapy. |
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Young Suk Lee, Seung Ick Cha, Chun Duk Han, Chang Ho Kim, Yeun Jae Kim, Jae Yong Park, Tae Hoon Jung |
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Department of Internal Medicine,School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea |
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| Abstract |
Background
Long-term low flow oxygen therapy not only increases survival, but also improves the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with chronic hypoxemia. For the assessment and improvement of the status of home oxygen therapy, we analyzed clinical experience of 26 patients who have been administered low flow oxygen at home.
Methods
Twenty-six patients (18 men and 8 women) who have been received long-term oxygen therapy (L TOT) at home were examined. We reviewed physical characteristics, clinical history, pulmonary function test, ECG, arterial blood gas analysis, hemoglobin and hematocrit, types of oxygen devices, inhalation time per day, concentration of administered 02 duration of 02 therapy, and problems in the home oxygen therapy
Results
The underlying diseases of patients were COPD 14 cases, far advanced old pulmonary tuberculosis 9 cases, bronchiectasis 2 cases, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 1 case. The reasons for LT OT at home were noted for cor pulmonale 21 cases, for dyspnea on exertion and severe ventilatory impairment 4 cases, and for oxygen desaturation during sleep 1 case‘ The mean values of aterial blood gas analysis before home oxygen therapy were PaO2 57.7 mmHg, PaCO2 48.2 mmHg, and SaO2 87.7%.
And the mean values of each parameters in the pulmonary function test were VC 2.05 L, FEV1 0.92 L, and FEV1/ FVC% 51.9%. Nineteen patients have used oxygen tanks as oxygen devices, 1 patient oxygen concentrator, 2 patients oxygen tank and liquid oxygen, and other 4 patients oxygen tank together with portable oxygen. The duration of oxygen therapy was below 1 year in 3 cases, 1-2 years in 15 cases, 3-5 years in 6 cases, 9 years in 1 case, and 10 years in 1 case. All patients have inhalated oxygen with flow rate less than 2.5 L/ min. And only 10 patients have inhalated oxygen more than 15 hours per day, but most of them short time per day.
Conclusion
For the effective oxygen administration, it is necessary that education for long-term low flow oxygen therapy to patients, their family and neighbor should be done , and also the institutional backup for getting convenient oxygen devices is required. |
| Key Words:
Oxygen therapy, Chronic hypoxemia |
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