Home Oxygen Therapy

Home oxygen therapy is used to treat and prevent symptoms and manifestations of hypoxemia. Home oxygen therapy can be indicated in severe pulmonary diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diffuse interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis or lung cancer. Oxygen therapy can also be indicated in conditions with hypoxia symptoms like pulmonary hypertension, erythrocytosis, recurring heart failure due to chronic cor pulmonale. Short term therapy can be indicated in pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis or bronchiolitis. Hypoxemia needs to be demonstrated with an arterial blood gas (ABG) test. This test should be done at room air unless medically contraindicated. Oxygen therapy frequency, flow and duration needs to be prescribed by a physician when starting therapy. Therapy long term necessity needs to be evaluated with pulse oximetry every three months, each time an increase in oxygen is required or when equipment type change is needed. <a id="