Hyderabad: New guidelines on oxygen use flawed, say experts
The toxicity caused by oxygen leads to disorientation, breathing problems and also changes in the vision.
Hyderabad: The use of highly concentrated oxygen after surgery can cause serious risk to patients and prove fatal in case of senior citizens, anaesthetists have said as it was found that the 2016 WHO guidelines for higher use of oxygen were flawed.
The use of 80 per cent oxygen in critical and post-operative cases was recommended but doctors have stated that too much of oxygen could be toxic and it is not being practised widely.
Dr M. Viresham, senior professor and anaesthetist, explained, “Critical cases where there is lung collapse will require adequate oxygen supply but it does not pertain to all cases. In a maximum number of cases, evaluation is carried out and there is a weaning process followed. The use of oxygen is highest at 50 per cent only. Too much of oxygen can also cause toxicity in the body.”
The toxicity caused by oxygen leads to disorientation, breathing problems and also changes in the vision.
Dr Mandula Nagaraj, head of the department of anaesthesia at Apollo Hospitals, said, “The oxygen given to patients is enriched and this is to ensure that the breathing is monitored. But oxygen supply cannot be too high. The range of 80 to 100 per cent is only when the patient is very critical and on ventilator support. But it is not recommended post operations where the levels range from 30 to 40 per cent only.”
The recent guidelines, senior doctors stated have been critically reviewed as it caused toxicity to the lung tissues and collapse of smaller airways.
The infection control methods in critical cases have been a concern but increasing levels of oxygen do not have strong scientific evidence.
Experts have stated that the problems are mostly encountered in respiratory infections, bilateral pneumonia and co-morbid conditions in senior citizens where the critical care is aggressive to save lives. The fatalities in these cases have been the reason for these clinical trials but it is not found to work in the larger population as the risk factors are high when compared to benefits of the treatment.