Oxygen therapy reduces dyspnoea in COPD patients with mild disease

Oxygen therapy for COPD patient

Home oxygen therapy is known to improve survival in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but its effect on symptoms in patients with less-severe disease is unclear.

To investigate, Amy Abernethy, from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 18 trials of oxygen therapy in 431 patients with mild or non-hypoxemia COPD, who would not qualify for home oxygen.

The researchers found that continuous oxygen during exertion, but not short-burst therapy, significantly reduced the distressing symptom of dyspnoea, with a clinically relevant treatment effect.

“Data from adequately powered clinical trials, including studies on cost-effectiveness, risk of possible hyperoxia-related adverse effects and fires, and future meta-analyses are needed,” the researchers write in Thorax
[1]
 (online, 3 December 2014).

References

 

[1] Uronis HE, Ekström MP, Currow DC et al. Oxygen for relief of dyspnoea in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who would not qualify for home oxygen: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax 2014. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-205720.

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Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, Oxygen therapy reduces dyspnoea in COPD patients with mild disease;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2014.20067470

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