Skip to main content

No Advantage Seen With Long-Term Oxygen Therapy for 24 Versus 15 Hours/Day

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 10, 2024.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, Sept. 10, 2024 -- For patients starting long-term oxygen therapy for chronic, severe hypoxemia at rest, the risk for hospitalization or death within one year is comparable with long-term oxygen therapy for 24 or 15 hours per day, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the European Respiratory Society Congress, held from Sept. 7 to 11 in Vienna.

Magnus Ekström, M.D., Ph.D., from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues compared the risk for hospitalization or death at one year with long-term oxygen therapy for 24 versus 15 hours per day among patients who were starting oxygen therapy for chronic, severe hypoxemia at rest. Patients were randomly assigned to receive long-term oxygen therapy for 24 hours (117 patients) or 15 hours (124 patients) per day.

The researchers found that the risk for hospitalization or death within one year was not lower in the 24-hour versus the 15-hour group (mean rate, 124.7 and 124.5 events per 100 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.99; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.72 to 1.36; P = 0.007 for nonsuperiority). No substantial difference was seen between the groups in the incidence of hospitalization for any cause, death from any cause, or adverse events.

"This trial has direct clinical implications. The findings support that there is no clear disadvantage of supplemental oxygen use for 15 hours per day rather than 24 hours per day in terms of reducing the risk of hospitalization or death within one year," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

More Information

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Coal Coking Plant Closure Tied to Immediate and Long-Term Respiratory Health Benefits

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2025 -- Reductions in fossil fuel-related air pollution are linked to both short- and long-term lung health benefits for nearby residents, according to a study...

Consensus Offers Best Practices for Post-COVID-19 Residual Abnormalities on Chest CT

FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- In an international multisociety consensus statement, published online July 22 in Radiology, recommendations are presented for computed tomography (CT)...

Association Found Between Home Mold, Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Home mold, often attributed to chronic and/or recurring water intrusion, is associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.