Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that develops because of breathing in polluted air. It is a progressive problem that intensifies over a period of time. Some common COPD symptoms are difficulty breathing,

1. Benefits of using oxygen therapy in
COPD

2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that
develops because of breathing in polluted air. It is a progressive problem that
intensifies over a period of time. Some common COPD symptoms are
difficulty breathing, wheezing, chronic cough, fatigue, and shortness of
breath. Although the disease is not entirely curable, specific treatments can
help manage the signs. These include non-invasive ventilation, medication,
physical exercise, and oxygen therapy. Today, we will discuss the benefits of
using oxygen therapy for treating COPD. Here you go!

3. What to know about COPD therapy?
A study suggests the survival benefits of using long-term oxygen therapy
when treating patients with COPD or severe chronic hypoxemia. The latter is
responsible for causing progressive pulmonary hypertension and develops
right ventricular hypertrophy and cor pulmonale along with secondary
polycythaemia. While using long-term domiciliary oxygen benefits people
with hypoxemia, more research needs to be conducted when it comes to
short-term usage.

4. The role of long-term oxygen therapy
Once a patient starts receiving long-term oxygen therapy, it is likely to
continue lifelong. The treatment is typically given for 15 hours a day, including
nighttime, when the arterial hypoxemia worsens.
One can understand the requirement of oxygen therapy in patients by
accessing airflow obstruction, polycythaemia, raised jugular venous pressure,
cyanosis, and peripheral oedema.
Consider assessing people with severe airflow obstruction.
People with PaO2 less than 7.3 kPa in a stable condition should be provided
with long-term oxygen therapy.
Do the assessment by measuring ABGs on two occasions, at an interval of at
least three weeks. It might not be easy to get the ABG in a community. You
may be required to visit a local hospital or check in with a respiratory
specialist nurse.

5. You should know that providing COPD Symptoms patients with inappropriate
oxygen therapy can lead to respiratory depression.
The healthcare settings must be provided with a pulse oximeter to see that
everyone who needs long-term oxygen therapy is identified. It can also help
with reviewing patients at least once a year.
Make sure to use oxygen concentrators to offer a fixed oxygen supply at
home.
People getting long-term oxygen therapy should breathe supplemental
oxygen. If such patients live with someone who smokes, they should be given
a heads-up about the risk of fire and explosion.
Patients who are acidotic or hypercapnic must be referred to a specialist
centre. They must be suggested long-term non-invasive ventilation.
So, these are a few things patients who are being given long-term oxygen
therapy should know to get better.

6. Thank You