Table 2

Gas exchange

	Home, N=23			Hospital, N=26			Adjusted mean difference in change home versus in-hospital (95% CI)
	Baseline	3 months	6 months	Baseline	3 months	6 months	6 months–baseline
PaCO₂, kPa	7.3±0.9	6.7±0.9*	6.4±0.8**	7.4±1.0	6.5±0.5*	6.4±0.6**	0.04 (−0.31 to 0.38)
PaO₂, kPa	6.8±1.3	7.5±1.5	7.6±1.2	7.3±1.5	8.1±1.4*	8.0±1.2	−0.18 (−0.85 to 0.49)
HCO₃ ^-, mmol/L	33.1±3.8	30.8±3.2*	29.8±2.9*	33.6±4.2	30.2±2.1*	29.7±2.8**	0.2 (−1.5 to 1.2)

Data are shown as mean±SD. A positive mean difference means an increase from baseline to 6 months for the home compared with the in-hospital group.
Compared with baseline within the group: *p<0.05 and **p<0.001.
HCO_3-, bicarbonate; kPa, kilopascal; PaCO₂, partial arterial carbon dioxide pressure; PaO₂, partial arterial oxygen pressure.