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Palliative oxygen for chronic breathlessness : What new evidence?

Ahmadi, Zainab LU ; Currow, David C and Ekström, Magnus LU orcid (2017) In Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care 11(3). p.159-164
Abstract

Purpose of review Supplemental oxygen improves survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hypoxaemia, but the effect of oxygen therapy in mild or moderate hypoxaemia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness remains unclear. This review provides an overview of recent evidence about the role of oxygen therapy for the relief of chronic breathlessness in advanced illness. Recent findings In COPD, a recent Cochrane review strengthens earlier findings regarding the positive effect of supplemental oxygen compared with air during exercise test in the training setting. The novel analysis of effect of oxygen therapy on quality of life (QoL) showed no clear effect. Short-burst oxygen therapy given before... (More)

Purpose of review Supplemental oxygen improves survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hypoxaemia, but the effect of oxygen therapy in mild or moderate hypoxaemia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness remains unclear. This review provides an overview of recent evidence about the role of oxygen therapy for the relief of chronic breathlessness in advanced illness. Recent findings In COPD, a recent Cochrane review strengthens earlier findings regarding the positive effect of supplemental oxygen compared with air during exercise test in the training setting. The novel analysis of effect of oxygen therapy on quality of life (QoL) showed no clear effect. Short-burst oxygen therapy given before exercise had no effect and should not be used. Summary Supplemental oxygen during exercise has been shown to reduce breathlessness in patients with COPD who have no or mild hypoxaemia, but it is not clear whether the reduction in breathlessness shown in the laboratory setting translates into a clinically important benefit. Further studies are needed to establish this.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
breathlessness, oxygen therapy, quality of life
in
Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care
volume
11
issue
3
pages
6 pages
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • pmid:28644301
  • wos:000407000000005
  • scopus:85026868421
ISSN
1751-4258
DOI
10.1097/SPC.0000000000000282
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
69aa04ef-bc71-4a50-9426-7906aee38384
date added to LUP
2017-08-22 16:31:39
date last changed
2024-05-12 19:21:08
@article{69aa04ef-bc71-4a50-9426-7906aee38384,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose of review Supplemental oxygen improves survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hypoxaemia, but the effect of oxygen therapy in mild or moderate hypoxaemia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness remains unclear. This review provides an overview of recent evidence about the role of oxygen therapy for the relief of chronic breathlessness in advanced illness. Recent findings In COPD, a recent Cochrane review strengthens earlier findings regarding the positive effect of supplemental oxygen compared with air during exercise test in the training setting. The novel analysis of effect of oxygen therapy on quality of life (QoL) showed no clear effect. Short-burst oxygen therapy given before exercise had no effect and should not be used. Summary Supplemental oxygen during exercise has been shown to reduce breathlessness in patients with COPD who have no or mild hypoxaemia, but it is not clear whether the reduction in breathlessness shown in the laboratory setting translates into a clinically important benefit. Further studies are needed to establish this.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ahmadi, Zainab and Currow, David C and Ekström, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1751-4258}},
  keywords     = {{breathlessness; oxygen therapy; quality of life}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{159--164}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care}},
  title        = {{Palliative oxygen for chronic breathlessness : What new evidence?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SPC.0000000000000282}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/SPC.0000000000000282}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}