The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Portable oxygen therapy: use and benefit in hypoxaemic COPD patients on long-term oxygen therapy.
In 159 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients (139 males, mean age 62 +/- 8 yrs, arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) 7.2 +/- 0.9 kPa), on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), we evaluated the effects of portable oxygen therapy both on the daily duration of oxygen therapy and on daily activities. They were given two types of LTOT at random: group A (n = 75), oxygen concentrators only (OC); group B (n = 84), either small oxygen cylinders plus OC (B1 = 51) or liquid oxygen (B2 = 33). ⋯ Only 60% of patients in group B (55% of B1; 67% of B2) use their portable devices outdoors and for walking. No strict predictive criterion of this use is found in our study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)