PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Martí, Sergi AU - Pajares, Virginia AU - Morante, Fátima AU - Ramón, Maria-Antònia AU - Lara, Jordi AU - Ferrer, Jaume AU - Güell, Maria-Rosa TI - Are Oxygen-Conserving Devices Effective for Correcting Exercise Hypoxemia? AID - 10.4187/respcare.02260 DP - 2013 Oct 01 TA - Respiratory Care PG - 1606--1613 VI - 58 IP - 10 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/58/10/1606.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/58/10/1606.full 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 effectiveness. In the present study the efficacy of 2 oxygen-conserving devices, a pulse demand oxygen delivery (DOD) system and pendant reservoir cannula (PRC), were evaluated in subjects with COPD and interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODS: A cross-sectional, crossover study included 28 COPD and 31 ILD subjects with oxygen desaturation on the 6-min walk test (average SpO2 < 88%). Each subject underwent 3 walk tests with DOD, PRC, and continuous oxygen flow by standard nasal cannula (CFNC), in random order, taking average SpO2 ≥ 90% as the resaturation criterion. RESULTS: Exercise desaturation was corrected in 79%, 79%, and 86% of COPD subjects with CFNC, DOD, and PRC, respectively, and in 77%, 61%, and 81% of ILD subjects with CFNC, DOD, and PRC, respectively. When compared to CFNC, the oxygen-conserving devices showed similar efficacy, except a lower performance for the DOD in the ILD subjects (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Although these oxygen-conserving devices corrected exercise hypoxemia in most COPD and ILD subjects, correction was not achieved in about 20% of the severe COPD subjects, regardless of the device, and in nearly 40% of the ILD subjects with the DOD device. These findings underscore that individualized adjustment of oxygen flow is needed for optimal correction of exercise hypoxemia, especially with a DOD in an ILD patient. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01086891).