Home oxygen therapy in the elderly

Abstract

Between 1984 and September 1995, we prescribed home oxygen therapy for 155 patients (96 men and 59 women), mean age 68.6 years) with chronic respiratory failure. Here we describe the underlying diseases, laboratory findings (arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary-function tests), and outcomes. We also report differences between those who were of least 70 years old (n = 82) and those less than 70 years old (n = 73). The underlying diseases were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 55 patients, lung cancer in 33, old pulmonary tuberculosis in 29, and pulmonary fibrosis in 27. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, especially pulmonary emphysema, was the most frequently encountered underlying disease in the older patients, whereas pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer were most common in the younger patients. The duration of observation ranged from less than 1 month to 10 years. At the time of this study 82 patients had died, 31 were still being treated as outpatients at our hospital, 32 had transferred to other hospitals, and the status of 10 patients was unknown. The older and younger patients did not differ with regard to arterial blood gases, pulmonary function at the time home oxygen therapy began, or outcome. We believe that home oxygen therapy was very beneficial in these patients with chronic respiratory failure, because their quality of life improved after the start of this therapy.