Thorax 2000;55:544-546 ( July )

A pragmatic assessment of the placement of oxygen when given for exercise induced dyspnoea

J W W Killen, P A Corris

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Freeman Hospital, High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7DN, UK

Correspondence to: Dr J W W Killen, Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE9 6SX, UK email: jeremy.killen{at}exchange.gatesh-tr.northy.nhs.uk

Received 8 September 1999; Returned to authors 19 January 2000; Revised version received 6 March 2000; Accepted for publication 30 March 2000

BACKGROUNDIt is uncertain whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) given oxygen for symptom relief should be advised to use it before or after exertion.
METHODSEighteen patients with smoking related COPD who desaturated on exercise were given oxygen or air from a cylinder in a single blind manner and in an order determined by Latin square randomisation, before and after ascending stairs. The time of ascent, desaturation, and dyspnoea associated with the ascent was compared across the treatment groups.
RESULTSOxygen given before or after the ascent reduced maximal dyspnoea from 49.1 mm (95% CI 35.5 to 62.7) to 41.7 mm (95% CI 34.3 to 49.1) of a 100 mm visual analogue scale, reduced desaturation (oxygen before 4.9% (95% CI 3.6 to 6.2), oxygen after 6.4% (5.3 to 7.5), air before and after 8.2% (6.7 to 9.7%)), but did not affect time of ascent (air before: 5.1 s (95% CI 3.4 to 6.9) reduction from training ascent; oxygen before: 6.1 s (95% CI 2.9 to 9.2) reduction).
CONCLUSIONSOxygen prescribed for symptomatic relief of dyspnoea benefits selected patients with COPD, but it seems not to matter whether it is taken before or after exertion.


Keywords: exercise induced dyspnoea; oxygen; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

---

© 2000 by Thorax
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Quantrill, S J, White, R, Crawford, A, Barry, J S, Batra, S, Whyte, P, Roberts, C M (2007). Short burst oxygen therapy after activities of daily living in the home in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 62: 702-705 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stevenson, N J, Calverley, P M A (2004). Effect of oxygen on recovery from maximal exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 59: 668-672 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Neill, B, Bradley, J M, McKevitt, A M, Heaney, L, Riley, M, McGovem, V, MacMahon, J (2004). Prescribing practice for intermittent oxygen therapy: a GP survey. Chronic Respiratory Disease 1: 139-142 [Abstract]  
• Gorecka, D (2004). Short burst oxygen therapy is unhelpful?. Chronic Respiratory Disease 1: 99-100  
• Wedzicha, J A (2004). Short burst oxygen therapy is helpful?. Chronic Respiratory Disease 1: 101-103  
• Lewis, C.A., Eaton, T.E., Young, P., Kolbe, J. (2003). Short-burst oxygen immediately before and after exercise is ineffective in nonhypoxic COPD patients. Eur Respir J 22: 584-588 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nandi, K, Smith, A A, Crawford, A, MacRae, K D, Garrod, R, Seed, W A, Roberts, C M (2003). Oxygen supplementation before or after submaximal exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 58: 670-673 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Booth, S., Wade, R. (2003). Oxygen or air for palliation of breathlessness in advanced cancer. JRSM 96: 215-218 [Full Text]  
• Sant'Anna, C. A., Stelmach, R., Zanetti Feltrin, M. I., Filho, W. J., Chiba, T., Cukier, A. (2003). Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life in Low-Income Patients With COPD Receiving Long-term Oxygen Therapy. Chest 123: 136-141 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cuvelier, A., Nuir, J.-F., Chakroun, N., Aboab, J., Onea, G., Benhamou, D. (2002). Refillable Oxygen Cylinders May Be an Alternative for Ambulatory Oxygen Therapy in COPD*. Chest 122: 451-456 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• CALVERLEY, P M A (2000). Supplementary oxygen therapy in COPD: is it really useful?. Thorax 55: 537-538 [Full Text]