Chennai: Supplemental oxygen is given to a lot of patients during treatment but its usage in larger amounts can be life threatening, as per a recent study published in medical journal the Lancet.
The study shows that supplemental oxygen can increase the risk of death in acutely ill patients, especially patients suffering from sepsis, stroke and cardiac arrest.
The study aimed at finding if supplemental oxygen was harmless included a meta-analysis of 16,000 adult patients on a comparative basis on the use of liberal (supplemental oxygen) and conservative oxygen (room air) therapies. The study revealed that for every 71 patients treated with excessive oxygen, there was an additional death.
The study also found out that supplemental oxygen neither decreased any infections, nor did it help to improve the level of disability for patients with stroke.
The oxygen did not have any affect on the length of stay of any patient at the hospital.
Extra oxygen is given to patients in case of short breath, breathlessness and lung conditions and oxygen deficient patients. However, as per the study room air seems to be a better alternative than extra supplemental oxygen as a usual practice for such patients.
The study questions the wide belief that supplemental oxygen is safe and highlights the need of clear and updated guidelines on how to use oxygen and when to use oxygen for acutely ill patients.
