Short-term oxygen therapy need in COPD patients indicative of worse outcomes in acute illness: Study

Canada: Persistent hypoxemia requiring short-term oxygen therapy (STOT) following an acute respiratory illness in COPD is a marker of disease progression to long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), states a recent study.

The study, published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, stresses the recommendation for close monitoring of patients discharged from hospitals with STOT. Requirement for STOT at discharge in the course of an acute respiratory illness in COPD leads to poor prognosis. 

The researchers wrote, "in patients who received STOT, we also identified predictors of progression to LTOT." They suggest continuing LTOT in patients with severe hypoxemia after a period of one month of home oxygen therapy and/or in those having more than one STOT episode. 

Short-term oxygen therapy is often given to allow patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to be discharged safely from the hospital following an acute illness. However, this practice is not based on evidence and is still being widely accepted. Considering this, Yves Lacasse, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute - Laval University, Québec, Canada, and colleagues aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of COPD patients who received STOT.