Ambulatory Oxygen in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Kah Yee Tham, Devanand Anantham

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DOI: 10.4236/ojrd.2011.12002                

Abstract

Ambulatory oxygen has been shown to improve pulmonary hemodynamics and reduce dynamic hyperinflation in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Therefore, it is hypothesized to be of benefit in patients with either exertional desaturation or dyspnoea. There is evidence of short-term improvements in exercise distance, exercise time, breathlessness, oxygen saturation and minute ventilation. However, longer term studies only identified improvements in oxygenation and minute ventilation. The benefits were even more limited in patients with no resting hypoxemia. The role in improving exercise training in pulmonary rehabilitation by increasing exercise time and reducing dyspnoea was marginal and no improvements were detected in walking distance or quality of life. Practical considerations make compliance with ambulatory oxygen therapy a major issue with the weight of oxygen and social unacceptability the most often quoted problems. The evidence for any benefit of ambulatory oxygen is therefore limited despite the theoretical benefits.

Keywords

Ambulatory Oxygen, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Long-term Oxygen Therapy, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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