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Effects of long-term oxygen therapy on acute exacerbation and hospital burden : the national DISCOVERY study

Khor, Yet Hong ; Palm, Andreas ; Wong, Alyson W ; Guler, Sabina A ; Björklund, Filip LU orcid ; Ahmadi, Zainab LU ; Sundh, Josefin ; Ryerson, Christopher J and Ekström, Magnus LU orcid (2025) In Thorax p.1-7
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves survival in patients with chronic severe resting hypoxaemia, but effects on hospitalisation are unknown. This study evaluated the potential impact of starting LTOT on acute exacerbation and hospital burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH).

METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of consecutive patients in the population-based Swedish DISCOVERY cohort who started LTOT between 2000 and 2018 with a follow-up duration≥3 months. Total and hospitalised acute exacerbations of the underlying disease, all-cause hospitalisations, and all-cause outpatient visits were annualised and compared between the... (More)

BACKGROUND: Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves survival in patients with chronic severe resting hypoxaemia, but effects on hospitalisation are unknown. This study evaluated the potential impact of starting LTOT on acute exacerbation and hospital burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH).

METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of consecutive patients in the population-based Swedish DISCOVERY cohort who started LTOT between 2000 and 2018 with a follow-up duration≥3 months. Total and hospitalised acute exacerbations of the underlying disease, all-cause hospitalisations, and all-cause outpatient visits were annualised and compared between the year before and after LTOT initiation for each disease cohort, and by hypercapnic status in patients with COPD.

RESULTS: Patients with COPD (n=10 134) had significant reduction in annualised rates of total and hospitalised acute exacerbations, as well as all-cause hospitalisations, following LTOT initiation, with increment in those with ILD (n=2507) and PH (n=850). All-cause outpatient visits increased across all cohorts following LTOT initiation. Similar findings were observed in patients with hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic COPD. Sensitivity analyses of patients with 12 months of follow-up showed reduced acute exacerbations and all-cause hospitalisations in the ILD and PH cohorts.

CONCLUSION: LTOT is associated with reduced rates of both total and hospitalised acute exacerbations and all-cause hospitalisations in patients with COPD, as well as patients with ILD and PH with 12 months of follow-up. There is increased all-cause outpatient visits in all disease groups following LTOT initiation.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Thorax
pages
1 - 7
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:40113248
  • scopus:105000655595
ISSN
1468-3296
DOI
10.1136/thorax-2023-221063
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.
id
a482425b-cdad-41ac-9740-7be005494600
date added to LUP
2025-03-25 19:46:27
date last changed
2025-07-10 11:55:21
@article{a482425b-cdad-41ac-9740-7be005494600,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves survival in patients with chronic severe resting hypoxaemia, but effects on hospitalisation are unknown. This study evaluated the potential impact of starting LTOT on acute exacerbation and hospital burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH).</p><p>METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of consecutive patients in the population-based Swedish DISCOVERY cohort who started LTOT between 2000 and 2018 with a follow-up duration≥3 months. Total and hospitalised acute exacerbations of the underlying disease, all-cause hospitalisations, and all-cause outpatient visits were annualised and compared between the year before and after LTOT initiation for each disease cohort, and by hypercapnic status in patients with COPD.</p><p>RESULTS: Patients with COPD (n=10 134) had significant reduction in annualised rates of total and hospitalised acute exacerbations, as well as all-cause hospitalisations, following LTOT initiation, with increment in those with ILD (n=2507) and PH (n=850). All-cause outpatient visits increased across all cohorts following LTOT initiation. Similar findings were observed in patients with hypercapnic and non-hypercapnic COPD. Sensitivity analyses of patients with 12 months of follow-up showed reduced acute exacerbations and all-cause hospitalisations in the ILD and PH cohorts.</p><p>CONCLUSION: LTOT is associated with reduced rates of both total and hospitalised acute exacerbations and all-cause hospitalisations in patients with COPD, as well as patients with ILD and PH with 12 months of follow-up. There is increased all-cause outpatient visits in all disease groups following LTOT initiation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Khor, Yet Hong and Palm, Andreas and Wong, Alyson W and Guler, Sabina A and Björklund, Filip and Ahmadi, Zainab and Sundh, Josefin and Ryerson, Christopher J and Ekström, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1468-3296}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  pages        = {{1--7}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Thorax}},
  title        = {{Effects of long-term oxygen therapy on acute exacerbation and hospital burden : the national DISCOVERY study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2023-221063}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/thorax-2023-221063}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}