BMJ 2002;324:1406-1407 ( 15 June )

Editorials

Oxygen therapy in acute medical care

The potential dangers of hyperoxia need to be recognised

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Oxygen is cheap, widely available, and used in a range of settings and conditions to relieve or prevent tissue hypoxia. Since its discovery by Scheele and Priestley in the 1770s, it has remained one of the most effective therapeutic agents available. However, as a result of poor prescribing and monitoring, inappropriate doses are often given.1

Oxygen is most commonly delivered by devices with variable performance such as face masks and nasal cannulae. These can produce unexpectedly high concentrations of inspired oxygen, particularly when ventilation is depressed.2 In addition, masks that incorporate a reservoir bag are often used in emergencies, following the widespread adoption of advanced trauma life support style (or ATLS) guidelines. These appliances can produce systemic hyperoxia that is generally assumed to be harmless. However, emerging evidence suggests that for some patients with acute medical conditions, hyperoxia may be harmful.

Oxygen therapy is often provided for patients with acute . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Hale, K E, Gavin, C, O'Driscoll, B R (2008). Audit of oxygen use in emergency ambulances and in a hospital emergency department. Emerg. Med. J. 25: 773-776 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • O'Driscoll, B R, Howard, L S, Davison, A G, on behalf of the British Thoracic Society, (2008). BTS guideline for emergency oxygen use in adult patients. Thorax 63: vi1-vi68 [Full text]  
  • Beasley, R., Aldington, S., Robinson, G. (2007). Is it time to change the approach to oxygen therapy in the breathless patient?. Thorax 62: 840-841 [Full text]  
  • Toraman, F., Evrenkaya, S., Senay, S., Karabulut, H., Alhan, C. (2007). Adjusting Oxygen Fraction to Avoid Hyperoxemia During Cardiopulmonary Bypass. Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann. 15: 303-306 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Aldington, S., Beasley, R. (2007). Asthma exacerbations {middle dot} 5: Assessment and management of severe asthma in adults in hospital. Thorax 62: 447-458 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Thomson, A. J., Drummond, G. B., Waring, W. S., Webb, D. J., Maxwell, S. R. J. (2006). Effects of short-term isocapnic hyperoxia and hypoxia on cardiovascular function. J. Appl. Physiol. 101: 809-816 [Abstract] [Full text]  

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