Korean J Intern Med.
2022 Jan;37(1):119-126. 10.3904/kjim.2020.470.
Korean physician prescription patterns for home oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
- Kim Y1,2
- Kim HI2,3
- Park JY2,3
- Hong JY1,2
- Kim JH2,3
- Min KH4
- Rhee CK5
- Park S2,3
- Lee CY1,2
- Lim SY6
- Jang SH2,3
- Hwang YI
2,3
- Affiliations
-
- 1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
- 2Lung Research Institute of Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- 3Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea
- 4Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- 5Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
- 6Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- KMID: 2524247
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2020.470
Abstract
- Background/Aims
Hypoxemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leads to reduced ability to exercise, decreased quality of life, and, eventually, increased mortality. Home oxygen therapy in patients with severe COPD reduces distress symptoms and mortality rates. However, there have been few studies on physicians’ prescription behavior toward home oxygen therapy. Therefore, we investigated the respiratory specialists’ perspective on home oxygen therapy.
Methods
In this cross-sectional, study, a questionnaire was completed by 30 pulmonary specialists who worked in tertiary hospitals and prescribed home oxygen therapy. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items, including 15 items on oxygen prescription for outpatients, four for inpatients, and nine on service improvement.
Results
All physicians were prescribing less than 2 L/min of oxygen for either 24 (n = 10, 33.3%) or 15 hours (n = 9, 30.3%). All (n = 30) used pulse oximetry, 26 (86.7%) analyzed arterial blood gas. Thirteen physicians had imposed restrictions and recommended oxygen use only during exercise or sleep. Sixteen (53.3%) physicians were educating their patients about home oxygen therapy. Furthermore, physicians prescribed home oxygen to patients that did not fit the typical criteria for longterm oxygen therapy, with 30 prescribing it for acute relief and 17 for patients with borderline hypoxemia.
Conclusions
This study identified the prescription pattern of home oxygen therapy in Korea. Respiratory physicians prescribe home oxygen therapy to hypoxemic COPD patients for at least 15 hours/day, and at a rate of less than 2 L/min. More research is needed to provide evidence for establishing policies on oxygen therapy in COPD patients.
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