ambulatory oxygen therapy

Last reviewed 01/2018

Ambulatory Oxygen Therapy

• refers to the provision of oxygen therapy during exercise and activities of daily living
• ambulatory oxygen therapy can be prescribed in patients on long term oxygen therapy (LTOT), who are mobile and need to or can leave the home on a regular basis.
• type of portable device provided will depend on the patient's mobility and it has been shown that relatively few patients with COPD actually use ambulatory oxygen therapy for more than 4 hours daily in the first instance
• characteristics of longer-term concordance are unknown
• indicated for the following conditions
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • severe chronic asthma
  • interstitial lung disease
  • cystic fibrosis
  • pulmonary vascular disease
  • primary pulmonary hypertension
• ambulatory oxygen has been shown to be effective in increasing exercise capacity and reducing breathlessness in patients with exercise arterial oxygen desaturation, defined as a fall in SaO2 of 4% to a value <90%
  • purpose of ambulatory oxygen is to enable the patient to leave the home for a longer period of time, to improve daily activities and quality of life
  • patients who are candidates for ambulatory oxygen prescription will be either already on LTOT or they will have a PaO2 above the limit for LTOT prescription but show evidence of exercise de-saturation
  • ambulatory oxygen therapy should only be prescribed after appropriate assessment by the hospital specialist

Notes:

• ambulatory oxygen therapy is:
  • not recommended in patients with chronic lung disease and mild hypoxaemia (not on LTOT) without exercise de-saturation
  • not recommended for patients with chronic heart failure

Reference:

1. British Thoracic Society (January 2006). Report on Clinical Component for the Home Oxygen Service in England and Wales.