PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 412017

Chronic oxygen therapy.

M R Flick·A J Block
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Chronic low flow oxygen is useful therapy for patients with chronic obstructive lung disease who are crippled by hypoxemia despite optimal programs of usual respiratory care. Patients should be considered for chronic oxygen therapy who have (a) a resting Pao2 less than 55 mm Hg while breathing room air; or (b) profound tissue hypoxemia measured by mixed venous Pao2 and suggested by symptoms such as cor pulmonale and congestive heart failure; or (c) pulmonary hypertension or polycythemia even though daytime Pao2 is greater than 55 mm Hg. Arterial blood must be obtained to demonstrate hypoxemia and assess the benefits of oxygen therapy. Patients on chronic oxygen must remain under close medical supervision. There are no absolute contraindications to chronic oxygen therapy, other than refusal of the patient to quit smoking. Complications of therapy appear to be negligible. The exciting suggestion of improved prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease on oxygen therapy and the possibility of delaying the long-term sequelae of chronic respiratory failure bear careful watching in the future.

Explore related subjects

Acidosis, RespiratoryHumansLong-Term CareLung Diseases, ObstructiveOxygen Inhalation TherapyJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

M R Flick, A J Block. 1977. Chronic oxygen therapy.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-7125(16)31268-8

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed1992

Hypercarbia during carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum.

Patients with cardiopulmonary insufficiency undergoing laparoscopic surgery with carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum may retain CO2 resulting in clinically significant respiratory acidosis. A canine model of pulmonary emphysema induced by papain inhalation was utilized to evaluate the respiratory effects of both CO2 and helium pneumoperitoneum. Prior to papain inhalation and 5 and 8 weeks after initial treatment under general anesthesia, mechanical ventilation was adjusted to maintain the end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) at 40 mm Hg during baseline and pneumoperitoneum physiologic monitoring periods. Utilizing an analysis of variance, hemodynamic and respiratory physiologic parameters were compared. In this canine model, all dogs demonstrated consistent hypercarbia during CO2 pneumoperitoneum prior to papain treatments, but CO2 retention was significantly increased in the emphysematous state. The occurrence of hypercarbia during CO2 pneumoperitoneum may be underestimated by ETCO2 monitoring as was revealed by an increased PaCO2 (arterial carbon dioxide pressure)-ETCO2 gradient with an increasing time interval between papain exposure and period of physiologic monitoring. Irrespective of the pulmonary condition of the dog, helium pneumoperitoneum did not produce any hypercarbic or acidic changes when compared with the concomitant baseline period of dogs prior to the induction of pneumoperitoneum, thus suggesting that helium pneumoperitoneum may be a reasonable alternative in patients at risk for CO2 retention.

Acidosis, Respiratory↗
PubMed1992

Carbon dioxide prevents pulmonary overcirculation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Circulatory and metabolic homeostasis in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is dependent on a delicate balance between systemic and pulmonary blood flow. Hypocarbia can result in a marked decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance accompanied by pulmonary overcirculation, systemic hypotension, metabolic acidosis, and death. This report illustrates that early and precise control of the arterial carbon dioxide tension using inspired carbon dioxide can be effective in preventing or treating instability arising during management of a patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Acidosis, Respiratory↗