RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 ARE OXYGEN-CONSERVING DEVICES EFFECTIVE FOR CORRECTING EXERCISE HYPOXEMIA?
JF Respiratory Care
FD American Association for Respiratory Care
SP respcare.02260
DO 10.4187/respcare.02260
A1 Sergi Martí
A1 Virginia Pajares
A1 Fátima Morante
A1 Maria-Antònia Ramón
A1 Jordi Lara
A1 Jaume Ferrer
A1 Maria-Rosa Güell
YR 2013
UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2013/03/19/respcare.02260.abstract
AB Background: Correction of exercise hypoxemia in advanced lung diseases is crucial and often challenging. However, oxygen-conserving devices have been introduced in the market with limited evidence of its effectiveness. In the present study, the efficacy of two oxygen-conserving devices, a pulse demand oxygen delivery (DOD) system and pendant reservoir cannula (PRC), was evaluated in patients with COPD and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods: A cross-sectional, crossover study included 28 COPD and 31 ILD patients with oxygen desaturation on the 6-min walk test (average saturation <88%). Each patient underwent 3 walk tests with DOD, PRC and continuous oxygen flow by standard nasal cannula (CFNC) in random order, taking average saturation ≥ 90% as resaturation criteria. Results: Exercise desaturation was corrected in 79%, 79% and 86% of COPD patients with CFNC, DOD, and PRC, respectively, and in 77%, 61% and 81% of ILD patients with CFNC, DOD, and PRC, respectively. When compared to CFNC, oxygen-conserving devices showed similar efficacy, except a lower performance for DOD in ILD (p=0.012). Conclusions: Although oxygen-conserving devices are capable of correcting exercise hypoxemia in most COPD and ILD patients, correction is not achieved in about 20% of severe COPD regardless of the device, and in nearly 40% of ILD patients with DOD. These findings underscore that individualized adjustment of oxygen flow is needed for optimal correction of exercise hypoxemia, especially when DOD is used in ILD patients.