| Summary: | BACKGROUND
Breathless patients, as seen in exacerbated COPD, need oxygen, but giving too high a flow rate of oxygen to a patient dependent on a degree of hypoxia to drive their respiration can reduce their respiratory drive, resulting in carbon dioxide retention and may precipitate respiratory arrest (Booker, 2005 & NCCCC, 2004). However, this theory is debated in the research literature. The adverse effects were known, but there was little evidence into the prevalence of the adverse effects. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to establish the prevalence of adverse effects of oxygen therapy in acute exacerbations of COPD.
METHOD
Systematic review methodology was used in this dissertation; electronic databases, reference list searching and Google Scholar were used to identify studies from the Year 2000-2007. Inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality assessment tools were then applied to the obtained studies.
RESULTS
Adverse arterial blood gas results occurred in up to fifty-five percent of patients, admission to high dependency unit or intensive care units was required for up to thirty-five percent of patients and the use of non-invasive ventilation was also needed in up to thirty-five percent of patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Associations were established into the prevalence of the adverse effects of oxygen therapy in AECOPD, and the literature that suggested oxygen therapy did not cause adverse effects was contested. From this, and critique of the methodology of this systematic review, it is acknowledged that higher quality research in both the hospital and pre-hospital setting in this area needs to be conducted to support the findings.
Implications for future research include the need research into ventilation and HDU, ICU, NIV use following oxygen therapy in AECOPD. Consequences for future practice were shown to be the need for prescription protocols for oxygen therapy, education into oxygen therapy in AECOPD and the use of oxygen alert cards.
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