Retrospective evaluation of patient compliance in continuous oxygen therapy

Abstract

Background: Prescription of continuous oxygen therapy (COT) for correct indications, adequate education of the patients, and a regular and sufficient oxygen intake are essential. Objective: To evaluate the indications of COT prescriptions in six different centers around Istanbul and patient compliance. Methods: The initial data of the cases were taken from hospital records and throughout the study personal visits were done as well as arterial blood gas (ABG) analyses. Results: 86 patients out of 110 (78.1%) were found to be eligible candidates for COT. Daily duration of therapy was more than 15 h in 55 (43.3%) and more than 12 h in 14 (11%) of the cases. During therapy, mean PaO2 values have increased from 52.1 +/- 11 to 58.6 +/- 12 mm Hg (p < 0.001), while mean PaCO2 values have decreased from 50.16 +/- 9.6 to 48.02 +/- 9 mm Hg (p < 0.05). 98 of the cases (77.1%) stated that they had benefited from the therapy. Conclusions: We conclude that COT is an effective treatment modality, but patient compliance remains a problem.