Supplemental Oxygen
Supplemental oxygen or oxygen therapy can improve oxygen saturation levels, allowing patients with COPD or low oxygen levels to maintain their mobility and increase their ability to complete activities of daily living (ADL), such as exercise, household chores, shopping, etc. Long-term oxygen therapy for at least 16 hours a day can improve the quality of life and survival for people with COPD and arterial hypoxemia or with complications of hypoxemia such as pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, or secondary erythrocytosis. High concentrations of supplemental oxygen can lead to the accumulation of carbon dioxide and respiratory acidosis for some people with severe COPD; lower oxygen flow rates are generally safer for these individuals. Another safety issue concerning the use of oxygen for patients with COPD is smoking, because oxygen can act as an oxidizing agent.
Read more about this topic: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Management
Famous quotes containing the word oxygen:
“All the oxygen of the world was in them.
All the feet of the babies of the world were in them.
All the crotches of the angels of the world were in them.
All the morning kisses of Philadelphia were in them.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)