Acute oxygen therapy: a review of prescribing and delivery practices

Ward-delivered nasal high-flow oxygen and non-invasive ventilation are safe for people with acute respiratory failure: a cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Ward-delivered non-invasive respiratory supports (NIRS) (conventional oxygen therapy (COT), high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV)), are often used to treat hospitalised patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) both in high acuity and general wards. This study aimed to describe the processes of care adopted and examine patient outcomes from a specialist, ward-delivered NIRS service caring for people with COVID-19 in general wards or in a respiratory care unit (RCU).

METHODS

A cohort study was undertaken including all consecutive patients admitted to a quaternary hospital with ARF secondary to COVID-19 and requiring ward-delivered NIRS between 28 February 2020 and 18 March 2022. NIRS use, processes of care and patient outcomes were examined.

RESULTS

Six hundred sixty-eight patients were included, with 61% male and a mean age of 64 years (interquartile range 48-79 years). All received COT. Fifty eight percent of patients required additional NIRS: HFNO (36.2%), CPAP (19.8%) and NIV (1.9%). Eighty-two percent of patients had oxygen saturation targets documented. After the implementation of the RCU, significantly more nurse consultant-led CPAP prescriptions were initiated (P = 0.004) and fewer patients required review by the ICU team (P = 0.001) or transfer to ICU (P = 0.050). Forty-nine patients died (7.3%), with most (62.8%) being discharged directly home.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that ward-delivered NIRS is feasible and safe for people with COVID-19 and ARF. The combination of ward and RCU-delivered NIRS was particularly effective. Further research is required to determine the optimal models of respiratory care required for a broader range of patients and to understand how these should be implemented.

An exploration of healthcare professionals' knowledge and perceived barriers about acute oxygen therapy: a survey in a tertiary care hospital, Sudan

BACKGROUND

Oxygen is an essential drug that is commonly used in clinical practice, and its misadministration can result in severe consequences. This research sought to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of physicians and nurses regarding acute oxygen therapy and delivery barriers.

METHODOLOGY

This was a cross-sectional hospital-based survey. The study was conducted at Managil Teaching Hospital, Sudan. The study included 159 physicians and 25 nurses who were working at the hospital during the study period. The previously validated acute oxygen therapy questionnaire (AOTQ) was used to assess knowledge and barriers regarding acute oxygen therapy (AOT). The collected data were then analysed via R software.

RESULTS

A total of 184 medical professionals were included in the survey. The mean age of the study participants was 26 years, and 66.2% of all participants were male. A total of 74% of the physicians were junior physicians. Among the physicians, 15 (9.4%) had good knowledge (score > 80%), 75 (47.2%) had moderate knowledge (score > 60% & less than 80%), and 69 (43.4%) had poor knowledge about acute oxygen therapy (score < 60%). Among the nurses, 2 (8%) had good knowledge, 10 (40%) had moderate knowledge, and 13 (52%) had poor knowledge. Most of them were from medical departments, with 33% from physicians and 40% from nurses. Approximately 64% of the physicians and 68% of the nurses stated that oxygen is not a medication rather than a supportive therapy, and only 13% of the physicians and 28% of the nurses knew that oxygen should be given only after the doctor's prescription. The availability of oxygen was reported as a barrier by 85% of the physicians and 72% of the nurses.

CONCLUSION

A considerable percentage of physicians and nurses exhibited a limited understanding of acute oxygen therapy, demonstrated infrequent adherence to AOT guidelines due to a lack of awareness, and reported germane barriers to delivery that necessitate administrative and educational interventions.

Implementing Oxygen Therapy in Medical Wards-A Scoping Review to Understand Health Services Protocols and Procedures

Background/Objectives: Conventional oxygen therapy (COT) is the cornerstone of management for hypoxaemia associated with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in wards. COT implementation guidance is provided in local health guidance documents (LHGDs). This study aimed to identify ward-delivered adult COT implementation LHGDs in Australian health services and assess their content and accuracy. Methods: A scoping review was conducted on 1 May 2022 and updated on 19 December 2023 to identify public health services COT LHGDs. Data were extracted and analysed regarding COT initiation, monitoring, maintenance and weaning, and management of clinical deterioration. Results: Thirty-seven included LHGDs, and eleven referenced the Australian COT guidelines. A definition in the LHGDs for hypoxaemia is that any oxygen saturation (SpO2) or arterial blood gas (ABG) is rare. None required ABG prior to COT initiation. Twenty-nine provided target SpO2 aims for initiation and maintenance. Fifteen did not specify the criteria for clinical review. Nine LHGDs provided guidance on weaning. Conclusions: There was considerable variation in the structure and content of COT LHGDs in Australian health services. Variations and limited guideline concordance of LHGDs may impact the quality and safety of health care. Considerations for future research include the development and implementation of standardised core LHGD recommendations for COT, as well as conducting a national oxygen audit to better measure and benchmark the safety and quality of care.

Clinical Implementation of Automated Oxygen Titration in a Tertiary Care Hospital

BACKGROUND

When treating acute respiratory failure, both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia should be avoided. SpO2 should be monitored closely and O2 flows adjusted accordingly. Achieving this goal might be easier with automated O2 titration compared with manual titration of fixed-flow O2. We evaluated the feasibility of using an automated O2 titration device in subjects treated for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in a tertiary care hospital.

METHODS

Health-care workers received education and training about oxygen therapy, and were familiarized with an automated O2 titration device (FreeO2,). A coordinator was available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm during weekdays to provide technical assistance. The ability of the device to maintain SpO2 within the prescribed therapeutic window was recorded. Basic clinical information was recorded.

RESULTS

Subjects were enrolled from November 2020 to August 2022. We trained 508 health-care workers on the use of automated O2 titration, which was finally used on 872 occasions in 763 subjects, distributed on the respiratory, COVID-19, and thoracic surgery wards, and in the emergency department. Clinical information could be retrieved for 609 subjects (80%) who were on the system for a median (interquartile range) of 3 (2-6) d, which represented 2,567 subject-days of clinical experience with the device. In the 82 subjects (14%) for whom this information was available, the system maintained SpO2 within the prescribed targets 89% of the time. Ninety-six subjects experienced clinical deterioration as defined by the need to be transferred to the ICU and/or requirement of high flow nasal oxygen but none of these events were judged to be related to the O2 device.

CONCLUSIONS

Automated O2 titration could be successfully implemented in hospitalized subjects with hypoxemic respiratory failure from various causes. This experience should foster further improvement of the device and recommendations for an optimized utilization.

The Path to Diagnosis of Severe Asthma-A Qualitative Exploration

Purpose

Severe asthma poses a significant health burden in those with the disease, therefore a timely diagnosis can ensure patients receive specialist care and appropriate medication management. This study qualitatively explored the patient experience of adult Australians with severe asthma regarding specialist referral, to identify potential opportunities to streamline the process of severe asthma diagnosis and treatment and optimise referral pathways.

Patients and Methods

Adults currently being treated with medication for severe asthma were invited to participate in this study. Participants were interviewed and asked to describe initial diagnosis of their asthma or severe asthma, and how they came to be referred to secondary care. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded by two members of the research team and thematically analysed.

Results

Thirty-two people completed the study; 72% were female. Mean interview length was 33 minutes. The major themes generated were patient-related factors contributing to seeking a severe asthma diagnosis; perceptions of health care provision; diagnosis of severe asthma and the referral journey. Key findings were that both patient and healthcare provider attitudes contributed to participants' willingness to seek or receive a referral, and referral to respiratory specialists was often delayed. Contributing factors included a mismatch between patient expectations and general practice, lack of continuity of primary care, and a lack of patient understanding of the role of the respiratory specialist.

Conclusion

Timely severe asthma diagnosis in Australia appears to be hampered by an absence of a clear referral process, lack of general practitioner (GP) knowledge of additional treatment options, underutilisation of pharmacists, and multiple specialists treating patient comorbidities. Directions for future research might include interviewing healthcare providers regarding how well the referral process works for severe asthma patients, and researching the time between referral and when a patient sees the respiratory specialist.

A Quality Improvement Study to Improve Oxygen Prescription in the PICU of a Tertiary Care Centre in Delhi, India

Introduction Oxygen has been gravely misused since its inception as a therapeutic agent. There is a deficit of audits and baseline data for the Indian population, especially in the pediatric age group, which doesn't allow for standardization of protocols and guidelines. Objective Our study aimed at increasing valid prescription rates to 90% by implementation of quality improvement interventions, and assessing knowledge and perception of healthcare workers towards oxygen therapy. Methodology It followed a before-and-after prospective observational study model where baseline audit data was compared with data observed after the implementation of quality improvement strategies. The data was collected through an audit of the medical records of all pediatric patients receiving oxygen therapy in the PICU. Knowledge and perception of healthcare workers about oxygen therapy were assessed via a self-designed questionnaire. The study was undertaken in three phases, including Quality Improvement (QI) team formation and data collection, root cause analysis, and implementation of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Observations and results In the baseline audit, 1.4% of the prescriptions were complete and valid. Subsequently, over the course of four PDSA cycles, valid prescription rates increased; 62.07% in the first, 79.51% in the second, 81.81% in the third, and 91.42% in the fourth cycle respectively. After applying the chi-square test to compare PDSA4 and baseline data, the p-values for written prescriptions and target saturation were found to be statistically significant. In the healthcare worker survey, we found that 100% of them were aware of indications of oxygen prescription, FiO2, and side effects of excessive usage of oxygen therapy, 95% were aware of conditions affecting pulse-oximetry in the pediatric age group, and 75% knew about target saturation and its significance and the procedure to change alarm settings on the monitor. Conclusion Currently, there exists a lack of effective oxygen prescription audits, especially in India, which can be attributed to a lack of awareness and partly, a lack of initiative. Quality improvement initiatives are effective in improving the valid oxygen prescription rate. However, sustained goals can be achieved through regular audits only.

Doctors' and Nurses' Knowledge and Perceived Barriers Regarding Acute Oxygen Therapy in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria

PURPOSE

Oxygen may cause serious consequences when administered wrongly. This study aimed to assess doctors' and nurses' knowledge of acute oxygen therapy and perceived delivery barriers.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross sectional study among 202 healthcare providers (134 doctors and 68 nurses) in a Nigerian hospital. The validated Acute Oxygen Therapy Questionnaire (AOTQ), which consisted of 21 knowledge assessment questions, was self administered by participants. Provider's knowledge was classified as good if the score was≥80% and poor if < 60%.

RESULTS

Overall, 26.7% (37.3% doctors and 5.9% nurses) had good knowledge of acute oxygen therapy (AOT), 35.9% were aware, and 19.3% used the AOT guidelines. The commonest source of knowledge on oxygen therapy was medical /nursing school (75.2%). The participants' mean knowledge score was 14.75 ± 2.83(possible score of 0-21). Doctors in postgraduate (PG) training obtained the highest score (15.96±2.48) among the participants (F=12.45, df=4, p<0.001). Most doctors (62%) and 23.5% of nurses considered oxygen as a drug. More doctors (52.2%) than nurses (14.7%) believed that a doctor's order was mandatory before oxygen administration, contrary to guidelines recommendations. Most nurses did not know that breathlessness does not always signify hypoxemia and that asymptomatic anemia was not an indication for oxygen. Concerning oxygen prescription, 39.7% of nurses and 64.2% of doctors knew that it should be prescribed to achieve a target saturation range rather than a fixed dose. In acute oxygen delivery in COPD, doctors and nurses exhibited poor knowledge of the appropriate device and flow rate. The reported barriers to oxygen delivery were: a shortage of oxygen supply, inadequate delivery devices, power outages and out of pocket costs.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of doctors and nurses had poor knowledge of acute oxygen therapy, poor awareness and infrequently used AOT guidelines, and reported pertinent delivery barriers that warrant educational and administrative interventions.

Eine Querschnittsuntersuchung zur Qualität der Sauerstofftherapie in drei deutschen Krankenhäusern

Einleitung Sauerstoff (O2) ist eines der am häufigsten angewendeten Arzneimittel in deutschen Krankenhäusern und im Rettungswesen. Sowohl eine Hypoxämie als auch eine Hyperoxämie sind mit Komplikationen vergesellschaftet. In Deutschland fehlen bislang belastbare Daten zur Anwendung, Dokumentation und Überwachung der O2-Therapie.

Methoden Eine Querschnittsstudie zur Sauerstoff-Anwendung wurde in 3 Krankenhäusern der maximalen bzw. supramaximalen Versorgung in Hannover im Herbst 2020 durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse Von 343 erfassten Patienten erhielten 20 % eine O2-Therapie. Bei 29 % der Patienten mit O2-Therapie bestand ein Hyperkapnie-Risiko. Lediglich bei 68 % Patienten mit einer O2-Therapie lag eine SOP zur O2-Anwendung auf den jeweiligen Stationen vor und nur bei 22 % entsprach die gegebene O2-Therapie dem tatsächlichen Bedarf des Patienten. Nur bei 30 % des Gesamtkollektivs und 41 % der Patienten mit O2-Therapie erfolgte eine vollständige Dokumentation der Vitalparameter. Eine Überwachung der O2-Therapie mittels arterieller oder kapillärer Blutgasanalyse (BGA) erfolgte bei 76 % der O2-Patienten. Hier zeigte sich bei 64 % der Patienten eine Normoxämie, bei 17 % eine Hyperoxämie und bei 19 % eine Hypoxämie. Der einzige identifizierbare Prediktor für eine adäquate O2-Therapie war eine vorangegangene Beatmungstherapie.

Diskussion Insgesamt zeigt sich eine suboptimale Indikationsstellung, Anwendung und Kontrolle der Sauerstofftherapie. Schulungen des pflegerischen und ärztlichen Personals zur Verbesserung der Anwendung der O2-Therapie und resultierend auch der Patientensicherheit sind dringend notwendig.

[A cross-sectional study in three German hospitals regarding oxygen therapy characteristics]

BACKGROUND

Oxygen (O2) therapy is one of the most commonly applied medications in German hospitals and rescue services. Both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia can be associated with complications. There is currently a lack of reliable data on the use, documentation and surveillance of O2-therapy in German hospitals.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study on the use of O2 in three hospitals in Hannover, Germany.

RESULTS

Of 343 patients included in this study, 20 % received O2 therapy. Twenty-nine percent of patients receiving O2 were at increased risk for hypercapnia. A standard operating procedure (SOP) for O2 therapy was available in only 68 % of patients. In 22 % patients the applied O2-therapy was appropriate in the context of the documented vital parameters. A complete documentation of vital parameters was conducted in only 30 % of all patients and 41 % of patients receiving O2-therapy. A surveillance of O2-therapy using capillary or arterial blood gas analysis was performed in 76 % of patients. Here, 64 % of patients showed normoxemia, 17 % showed hyperoxemia and 19 % of patients showed hypoxemia. The only identifiable predictor for an adequate O2-therapy was a previous invasive ventilation.

DISCUSSION

Our data point towards and inadequate prescription, application and documentation of O2 therapy. The recently released German S3-guideline should be used to increase awareness among physicians and nursing staff regarding the use of O2-therapy to improve O2 therapy and consequently patient safety.

Mapping of Modifiable Factors with Interdisciplinary Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Guidelines Adherence to the Theoretical Domains Framework: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

COPD guidelines non-concordance is a challenge frequently highlighted by respiratory experts. Despite the provision of comprehensive evidence-based national and international guidelines, the COPD burden to frontline healthcare services has increased in the last decade. Suboptimal guidelines concordance can be disruptive to health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hastening pulmonary function decline and surging overall morbidity and mortality. A lack of concordance with guidelines has created an escalating economic burden on health-care systems. Identifying interdisciplinary interventions to facilitate improved adherence to guidelines may significantly reduce re-admissions, enhance HRQoL amongst patients and their families, and facilitate economic efficiency.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This review adhered to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews and the PRISMA ScR reporting guidelines. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full text articles in consonance with inclusion criteria. The convergent integrative JBI method collated quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies from nine databases. JBI critical appraisal tools were utilised to assess the quality of research papers. The theoretical domains framework (TDF) along with a specifically developed COPD data extraction tool were adopted as a priori to collect and collate data. Identified barriers and corresponding clinical behavioural change solutions were categorised using TDF domains and behavior change wheel (BCW) to provide future research and implementation recommendations.

RESULTS

Searches returned 1068 studies from which 37 studies were included (see Figure 1). COPD recommendations identified to be discordant with clinical practice included initiating non-invasive ventilation, over- or under-prescription of corticosteroids and antibiotics, and a lack of discharging patients with a smoking cessation plan or pulmonary rehabilitation. TDF domains with highest frequency scores were knowledge, environmental resources, and clinical behaviour regulation. Electronic order sets/digital proforma with guideline resources at point of care and easily accessible digital community referrals to target both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management appear to be a solution to improve concordance.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of consistent quality improvement intervention within hospitals for patients with COPD may exclude any implementation gap and prevent readmissions. Electronic proformas with digital referrals will assist with future evaluation audits to prioritise and target interventions to improve guidelines concordance.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required, and results dissemination will occur through peer-reviewed publication.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020156267.

Time for change in practice of in-patient oxygen therapy: a period-limited, multidimensional approach to improve oxygen prescription compliance: quality improvement project at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar

Prescription of oxygen therapy has traditionally poor compliance across the globe and mostly given to patients on verbal orders leading to under or overuse. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines (2017) recommend that oxygen therapy must be prescribed. Our study aimed to assess the prescription practice of oxygen therapy for patients admitted to acute medical assessment unit and general medical wards at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar and to achieve 80% compliance of valid oxygen therapy prescription implementing the quality improvement model against the BTS guidelines.The prescription practice of oxygen therapy was audited between April 2019 and August 2019. Using a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) model of improvement and multiple interventions was performed in the eight PDSA cycles, including (1) educational sessions for residents/fellows/nurses, (2) introduction of electronic prescription, (3) emails, posters/flyers, (4) nurse-led reminders and (5) re-enforced teaching for new residents. Data were then collected using a questionnaire assessing electronic prescriptions and documentation. Our baseline study regarding oxygen therapy showed limited awareness of BTS guidelines regarding the documentation of initiation and further adjustment of oxygen therapy. There was a lack of compliance with oxygen prescription; none of the patients had a valid prescription on our computer-based prescription (Cerner). The duration, target range and indications of Oxygen therapy were documented in 25% (18/72), 45.8% (33/72) and 42% (30/72) patients, respectively. Oxygen was initiated by communication order only. In a total of 16 weeks period, the repeated PDSA cycles showed significant improvement in safe oxygen prescription practices. Following intervention, oxygen electronic prescription, documentation of indications for oxygen therapy, target oxygen saturation and wean-off plan improved to 93%, 85%, 86 % and 80 %, respectively.We concluded that poor compliance to oxygen therapy Orders is a universal issue, which can be successfully managed using small-scale PDSA cycles to ensure sustained improvement through multidimensional interventions, continuous reinforcement and frequent reassessments.

Changes in the availability of medical oxygen and its clinical practice in Ethiopia during a national scale-up program: a time series design from thirty-two public hospitals

Background

Oxygen therapy is a lifesaving treatment, however, in Ethiopia, oxygen is not readily available in many healthcare facilities. In 2015, the Federal Ministry of Health launched a national roadmap to increase access to oxygen. This study aims to evaluate whether availability of oxygen and its clinical practice in public hospitals of Ethiopia changed during the time the roadmap was being implemented.

Methods

Between December 2015 and December 2019, a multifaceted approach was undertaken to increase access to oxygen in public facilities in Ethiopia. The activities included formation of new policies, development of guidelines, procurement and maintenance of oxygen equipment, and training of healthcare workers. To evaluate whether access and use of oxygen changed during this period, facility-based surveys were conducted between December 2015 to December 2019. Primary data, including medical record reviews, were collected from 32 public hospitals bi-annually. A chi-square test that claimed P < 0.05 used to assess the statistical significance differences.

Results

The study was conducted in 32 public hospitals of Ethiopia, where capacity building and technical support interventions implemented. Of these 32 facilities, 15 (46.9%) were general hospitals, 10 (31.2%) were referral hospitals, and 7 (21.9%) were primary hospitals. Functional availability of oxygen has shown a statistically significant increase from 62 to 100% in the pediatric in-patient departments of general and referral hospitals (p-value < 0.001). Similarly, functional availability of pulse oximetry has shown a statistically significant increase from 45 to 96%. With regard to clinical practices, the blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurement at diagnosis increased from 10.2 to 75%, and SpO2 measurement at admission increased 20.5 to 83%.

Conclusions

Based on the intervention results, we conclude that multifaceted approaches targeting policy, healthcare workers’ capacity, increased device procurement, and device maintenance programs with on-site mentorship, can improve the availability of medical oxygen and pulse oximetry, as well as clinical practice of oxygen therapy in health facilities. Therefore, ensuring device availability along with regular technical support and close follow-up of healthcare workers and facilities are critical, and these interventions should be scaled further.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-021-02844-4.

Pulse oximetry and supplemental oxygen use in nationwide Veterans Health Administration hospitals, 2013-2017: a Veterans Affairs Patient Database validation study

OBJECTIVE

Extraction and standardisation of pulse oximetry and supplemental oxygen data from electronic health records has the potential to improve risk-adjustment, quality assessment and prognostication. We develop an approach to standardisation and report on its use for benchmarking purposes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using electronic health record data from the nationwide Veteran's Affairs healthcare system (2013-2017), we extracted, standardised and validated pulse oximetry and supplemental oxygen data for 2 765 446 hospitalisations in the Veteran's Affairs Patient Database (VAPD) cohort study. We assessed face, concurrent and predictive validities using the following approaches, respectively: (1) evaluating the stability of patients' pulse oximetry values during a 24-hour period, (2) testing for greater amounts of supplemental oxygen use in patients likely to need oxygen therapy and (3) examining the association between supplemental oxygen and subsequent mortality.

RESULTS

We found that 2 700 922 (98%) hospitalisations had at least one pulse oximetry reading, and 864 605 (31%) hospitalisations received oxygen therapy. Patients monitored by pulse oximetry had a reading on average every 6 hours (median 4; IQR 3-7). Patients on supplemental oxygen were older, white and male compared with patients not receiving oxygen therapy (p<0.001) and were more likely to have diagnoses of heart failure and chronic pulmonary diseases (p<0.001). The amount of supplemental oxygen for patients with at least three consecutive values recorded during a 24-hour period fluctuated by median 2 L/min (IQR: 2-3), and 81% of such triplets showed the same level of oxygen receipt.

CONCLUSION

Our approach to standardising pulse oximetry and supplemental oxygen data shows face, concurrent and predictive validities as the following: supplemental oxygen clusters in the range consistent with hospital wall-dispensed oxygen supplies (face validity); there are greater amounts of supplemental oxygen for certain clinical conditions (concurrent validity) and there is an association of supplemental oxygen with in-hospital and postdischarge mortality (predictive validity).

Improvements and Shortcomings in Emergency Oxygen Prescribing: A Quality Improvement Initiative at an Acute Tertiary Care Hospital

Oxygen is one of the most commonly used yet poorly prescribed drugs. The 2015 British Thoracic Society (BTS) emergency oxygen audit highlighted the national shortcomings in oxygen prescribing and administration. A 2017 local audit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK, continued to demonstrate poor compliance with the BTS Oxygen Prescribing Guidelines in all areas audited. This study carried out yearly reaudits in November 2018 and 2019 to objectively measure the impact of implementing trust-wide and local interventions (July 2018 and August 2019).Intervention 1 included introduction of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) scale and redesigning drug charts with tick-boxes for target oxygen saturations. Intervention 2 included mandatory junior doctor teaching on safe oxygen prescribing, ‘oxygen safety’ posters on audited wards, and reminders at handover for staff to measure and document oxygen saturations.Following Intervention 1, all patients with valid oxygen prescriptions had a specified target saturations range. Intervention 2 ensured all patients had actual saturations within their prescribed target range, and 99% had oxygen saturations documented with sufficient frequency for their NEWS2 score. These were huge improvements from previous audits, during which a significant proportion of patients were at risk of hypercapnia, and those over- or underoxygenated were left unrecognised for hours. Despite improvements, 14% of patients continued to use oxygen without valid prescriptions in 2019, and drug charts were inconsistently signed for during drug rounds.Although the implemented changes enabled drastic improvements for patient safety and quality in oxygen use, future work should ensure oxygen is always treated as a drug with suitable prescription and documentation.

Ventilatory Support in Patients with COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which spread throughout the world. Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure is the most dangerous complication of COVID-19 pneumonia. To date, no specific therapeutic drugs or vaccines have been proven efficacious. Ventilatory support is still a significant challenge for physicians facing COVID-19. The mechanisms underlying hypoxemia in those patients are not fully understood, but a new physiopathology model has been proposed. Oxygen therapy should be delivered to patients with mild to moderate hypoxemia. More severe patients could benefit from other treatments (high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation or intubation, and invasive ventilation). Given the rapid evolution of COVID-19, there has been a paucity of the high-quality data that typically inform clinical practice guidelines from professional societies, and a worldwide consensus is still lacking. This chapter aims to illustrate the potentials of ventilatory support as therapeutic options for adult and pediatric patients affected by COVID-19 pneumonia.

Exploring Factors Contributing to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Guideline Non-Adherence and Potential Solutions in the Emergency Department: Interdisciplinary Staff Perspective

Purpose

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a significant and prolonged impact on health-related quality of life, patient outcomes, and escalation of pulmonary function decline. COPD-X guidelines published in 2003 subsist to facilitate a shift from the emphasis on pharmacological treatment to a more holistic multi-disciplinary interventions approach. Despite the existing comprehensive recommendations, readmission rates have increased in the last decade. Evidence to date has reported sub-optimal COPD guidelines adherence in emergency departments. This qualitative study explored contributing factors to interdisciplinary staff non-adherence and utilisation of COPD-X guidelines in a major Southern Queensland Emergency Department.

Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interviews with interdisciplinary staff were conducted in an emergency department. A purposive sample of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacist and a social worker were recruited. Interviews were digitally recorded, de-identified and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed a coding process against the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to examine implementation barriers and potential solutions. Identified factors affecting non-adherence and underutilisation of guidelines were then mapped to the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour model (COM-B) and behaviour change wheel (BCW) to inform future implementation recommendations.

Results

Prominent barriers influencing the clinical uptake of COPD guidelines were identified using TDF analysis and included knowledge, professional role clarity, clinical behaviour regulation, memory, attention, and decision process, beliefs about departmental capabilities, environmental context and resources. Potential interventions included education, training, staffing, funding and time-efficient digitalised referrals and systems management reminders to prevent COPD readmissions, remissions and improve patient health-related quality of life.

Conclusion

Implementation strategies such as electronic interdisciplinary COPD proforma that facilitates a multimodal approach with appropriate patient/staff resources and referrals prior to discharge from an ED require further exploration. Greater clarity around which components of the COPD X guidelines must be applied in ED settings needs to stem from future research.

Closed-Loop Oxygen Control Using a Novel Nasal High-Flow Device: A Randomized Crossover Trial

BACKGROUND

Oxygen administration is recommended for patients with hypoxemia to achieve a target [Formula: see text] range. Strategies to achieve this in clinical practice are suboptimal. We investigated automatic oxygen titration using a novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop oxygen control. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether closed-loop control was able to respond to desaturation and subsequent recovery in a controlled laboratory-based environment.

METHODS

We conducted a single-blind randomized crossover trial in adults with chronic respiratory disease who had a resting [Formula: see text] ≥ 92% and desaturated to < 90% during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Nasal high-flow was administered during a 6MWT and a subsequent 10-min rest period with either room air, a fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, or oxygen titrated automatically using closed-loop control.

RESULTS

The study involved 42 subjects. Closed-loop control maintained [Formula: see text] within the target range of 92-96% for a mean (SD) duration of 54.4 ± 30.1% of the 6MWT and 67.3 ± 26.8% of the recovery period. The proportion of time spent with an [Formula: see text] in the target range during the 6MWT was significantly greater for closed-loop control compared to room air, with a difference of 26.0% (95% CI 17.7-34.2, P < .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to the fixed concentration of 28% oxygen, with a difference of -8.2% (95% CI -16.5 to 0.1, P = .052). The proportion of time spent in the target range during the rest period was significantly greater compared to 28% oxygen, with a difference of 19.3% (95% CI 8.9-29.7, P < .001); this proportion of time was not significantly different compared to room air, with a difference of -9.3% (95% CI -19.7 to 1.0, P = .08).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides proof-of-concept evidence that the novel nasal high-flow device with closed-loop control can respond to changes in [Formula: see text] outside a target saturation range using a model of exercise-induced desaturation and subsequent recovery.

Understanding Clinicians' Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Optimal Use of Acute Oxygen Therapy in Adults

Background

Supplemental oxygen is commonly administered to patients in acute care. It may cause harm when used inappropriately. Guidelines recommend prescription of acute oxygen, yet adherence is poor. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to practicing in accordance with the evidence-based Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) oxygen guideline, and to determine the beliefs and attitudes relating to acute oxygen therapy.

Methods

A national cross-sectional survey was conducted. The survey consisted of 3 sections: (1) introduction and participant characteristics; (2) opinion/beliefs, knowledge and actions about oxygen therapy and other drugs; and (3) barriers and facilitators to use of the TSANZ guideline. Convenience sampling was employed. A paper-based survey was distributed at the TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting. An online survey was emailed to the TSANZ membership and to John Hunter Hospital's clinical staff.

Results

Responses were received from 133 clinicians: 52.6% nurses, 30.1% doctors, and 17.3% other clinicians. Over a third (37.7%) were unaware/unsure of the oxygen guideline's existence. Most (79.8%) believe that oxygen is a drug and should be treated as one. Most (92.4%) stated they only administered it based on clinical need. For four hypothetical cases, there was only one where the majority of participants identified the optimal oxygen saturation. A number of barriers and facilitators were identified when asked about practicing in accordance with the TSANZ guideline. Lack of oxygen equipment, getting doctors to prescribe oxygen and oxygen being treated differently to other drugs were seen as barriers. The guideline itself and multiple clinician characteristics were considered facilitators.

Conclusion

There is discordance between clinicians' beliefs and actions regarding the administration of oxygen therapy and knowledge gaps about optimal oxygen therapy in acute care. Identified barriers and facilitators should be considered when developing evidence-based guidelines to improve dissemination and knowledge exchange.

Understanding Clinicians' Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Optimal Use of Acute Oxygen Therapy in Adults

Background

Supplemental oxygen is commonly administered to patients in acute care. It may cause harm when used inappropriately. Guidelines recommend prescription of acute oxygen, yet adherence is poor. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to practicing in accordance with the evidence-based Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) oxygen guideline, and to determine the beliefs and attitudes relating to acute oxygen therapy.

Methods

A national cross-sectional survey was conducted. The survey consisted of 3 sections: (1) introduction and participant characteristics; (2) opinion/beliefs, knowledge and actions about oxygen therapy and other drugs; and (3) barriers and facilitators to use of the TSANZ guideline. Convenience sampling was employed. A paper-based survey was distributed at the TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting. An online survey was emailed to the TSANZ membership and to John Hunter Hospital's clinical staff.

Results

Responses were received from 133 clinicians: 52.6% nurses, 30.1% doctors, and 17.3% other clinicians. Over a third (37.7%) were unaware/unsure of the oxygen guideline's existence. Most (79.8%) believe that oxygen is a drug and should be treated as one. Most (92.4%) stated they only administered it based on clinical need. For four hypothetical cases, there was only one where the majority of participants identified the optimal oxygen saturation. A number of barriers and facilitators were identified when asked about practicing in accordance with the TSANZ guideline. Lack of oxygen equipment, getting doctors to prescribe oxygen and oxygen being treated differently to other drugs were seen as barriers. The guideline itself and multiple clinician characteristics were considered facilitators.

Conclusion

There is discordance between clinicians' beliefs and actions regarding the administration of oxygen therapy and knowledge gaps about optimal oxygen therapy in acute care. Identified barriers and facilitators should be considered when developing evidence-based guidelines to improve dissemination and knowledge exchange.

Management of acute COPD exacerbations in Australia: do we follow the guidelines?

Objective

We aimed to assess adherence to the Australian national guideline (COPD-X) against audited practice, and to document the outcomes of patients hospitalised with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at discharge and 28 days after.

Methods

A prospective clinical audit of COPD hospital admission from five tertiary care hospitals in five states of Australia was conducted. Post-discharge follow-up was conducted via telephone to assess for readmission and health status.

Results

There were 207 admissions for acute exacerbation (171 patients; mean 70.2 years old; 50.3% males). Readmission rates at 28 days were 25.4%, with one (0.6%) death during admission and eight (6.1%) post-discharge within 28 days. Concordance to the COPD-X guidance was variable; 22.7% performed spirometry, 81.1% had blood gases collected when forced expiratory volume in 1 s was <1 L, 99.5% had chest radiography performed, 95.1% were prescribed systemic corticosteroids and 95% were prescribed antibiotic therapy. There were 89.1% given oxygen therapy and 92.6% when arterial oxygen tension was <80 mmHg; 65.6% were given ventilatory assistance when pH was <7.35. Only 32.4% were referred to pulmonary rehabilitation but 76.8% had general practitioner follow-up arranged.

Conclusion

When compared against clinical practice guidelines, we found important gaps in management of patients admitted with COPD throughout tertiary care centres in Australia. Strategies to improve guideline uptake are needed to optimise care.

A multisite audit of hospital admissions for patients experiencing #AECOPD in Australia highlighted important gaps in management when compared against national guidelines. Further focus on how we can improve guideline uptake by clinicians is needed.http://bit.ly/2VjGnHw

Implementing target range oxygen in critical care: A quality improvement pilot study

Background

Iatrogenic hyperoxaemia is common on critical care units and has been associated with increased mortality. We commenced a quality improvement pilot study to analyse the views and practice of critical care staff regarding oxygen therapy and to change practice to ensure that all patients have a prescribed target oxygen saturation range.

Methods

A baseline measurement of oxygen target range prescribing was undertaken alongside a survey of staff attitudes. We then commenced a programme of change, widely promoting an agreed oxygen target range prescribing policy. The analyses of target range prescribing and staff survey were repeated four to five months later.

Results

Thirty-three staff members completed the baseline survey, compared to 29 in the follow-up survey. There was no discernible change in staff attitudes towards oxygen target range prescribing. Fifty-four patients were included in the baseline survey and 124 patients were assessed post implementation of changes. The proportion of patients with an oxygen prescription with a target range improved from 85% to 95% (χ² = 5.17, p = 0.02) and the proportion of patients with an appropriate prescribed target saturation range increased from 85% to 91% (χ² = 1.4, p = 0.24). The improvement in target range prescribing was maintained at 96% 12 months later.

Conclusions

The introduction and promotion of a structured protocol for oxygen prescribing were associated with a sustained increase in the proportion of patients with a prescribed oxygen target range on this unit.

Approaches to the assessment of severe asthma: barriers and strategies

Asthma is a chronic condition with great variability. It is characterized by intermittent episodes of wheeze, cough, chest tightness, dyspnea and backed by variable airflow limitation, airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness. Asthma severity varies uniquely between individuals and may change over time. Stratification of asthma severity is an integral part of asthma management linking appropriate treatment to establish asthma control. Precision assessment of severe asthma is crucial for monitoring the health of people with this disease. The literature suggests multiple factors that impede the assessment of severe asthma, these can be grouped into health care professional, patient and organizational related barriers. These barriers do not exist in isolation but interact and influence one another. Recognition of these barriers is necessary to promote precision in the assessment and management of severe asthma in the era of targeted therapy. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of the barriers that impede assessment in severe asthma and recommend potential strategies for overcoming these barriers. We highlight the relevance of multidimensional assessment as an ideal approach to the assessment and management of severe asthma.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess the doctors and nurses knowledge of acute oxygen therapy

BACKGROUND

Prescription and administration of oxygen in emergencies by healthcare providers are reported to be inappropriate in most settings. There is a huge gap in the knowledge of health care providers on various aspects of oxygen therapy, and this may be a barrier to optimal oxygen administration. Hence, it is essential to ascertain providers' knowledge of acute oxygen therapy so that appropriate educational interventions are instituted for better delivery. There is no available validated instrument to assess knowledge of acute oxygen therapy. The study aimed to develop, validate and evaluate the test-retest reliability of a questionnaire to determine the doctors and nurses understanding of acute oxygen therapy.

METHODS

This study involved the development of the questionnaire contents by a literature review, assessment of face validity (n = 5), content validity, using a panel of experts (n = 10), item analysis and test-retest reliability among a sample (n = 121) of doctors and nurses.

RESULTS

Face validity indicated that the questionnaire was quick to complete (10-15 min), most items were easy to follow and comprehensible. The global content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.85. The test-retest reliability statistics showed a kappa coefficient of 0.546-0.897 (all P<0.001) and percentage agreement of 80-98.3% indicating high temporal stability in the target population. In total, 90% of the items fulfilled the reliability acceptance criteria. Item discrimination analysis showed that most questions were at an acceptable level. The final questionnaire included 37 item questions and eight sections.

CONCLUSION

The designed questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool for assessing knowledge of acute oxygen therapy among doctors and nurses.

Automated oxygen control with O2matic® during admission with exacerbation of COPD

PURPOSE

It is a challenge to control oxygen saturation (SpO2) in patients with exacerbations of COPD during admission. We tested a newly developed closed-loop system, O2matic®, and its ability to keep SpO2 within a specified interval compared with manual control by nursing staff.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a crossover trial with patients admitted with an exacerbation of COPD and hypoxemia (SpO2 ≤88% on room air). Patients were monitored with continuous measurement of SpO2. In random order, they had 4 hours with manually controlled oxygen and 4 hours with oxygen delivery controlled by O2matic. Primary outcome was time within a prespecified SpO2 target interval. Secondary outcomes were time with SpO2 <85%, time with SpO2 below target but not <85%, and time with SpO2 above target.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were randomized and 19 completed the study. Mean age was 72.4 years and mean FEV1 was 0.72 L (33% of predicted). Patients with O2matic-controlled treatment were within the SpO2 target interval in 85.1% of the time vs 46.6% with manually controlled treatment (P<0.001). Time with SpO2 <85% was 1.3% with O2matic and 17.9% with manual control (P=0.01). Time with SpO2 below target but not <85% was 9.0% with O2matic and 25.0% with manual control (P=0.002). Time with SpO2 above target was not significantly different between treatments (4.6% vs 10.5%, P=0.2). Patients expressed high confidence and a sense of safety with automatic oxygen delivery.

CONCLUSION

O2matic was able to effectively control SpO2 for patients admitted with an exacerbation of COPD. O2matic was significantly better than manual control to maintain SpO2 within target interval and to reduce time with unintended hypoxemia.

Can we improve the prescribing and delivery of oxygen on a respiratory ward in accordance with new British Thoracic Society oxygen guidelines?

The British Thoracic Society recommends oxygen delivery to achieve target oxygen saturation range between 94% and 98% for medically unwell adult patients, and 88% to 92% in patients at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure. Interviews with our medical and nursing staff suggested that oxygen was sometimes being given to patients without a valid order and there was a failure to titrate oxygen to the stated oxygen saturation range. Our aim was to improve appropriate oxygen delivery to 90% of our patients on a 30-bedded respiratory ward within 3 months. We identified several key steps to safe oxygen delivery on our ward. These include the recording of target oxygen saturation range, the prescribing of an oxygen order on drug chart and the correct bedside delivery of oxygen to the patient. To help improve compliance of these key steps, the following plan-do-study-act (PDSA) interventions were undertaken: (1) Educational announcements at board rounds. (2) A communication oxygen poster. (3) Highlighting improvement progress to teams via email. (4) Pharmacist review of inpatient drug chart. (5) Display of target oxygen saturation range at patient bedside. At baseline, only 50% of drug charts had a recorded oxygen order and 60% of drug charts had a set target oxygen saturation range. Following PDSA interventions, both measures improved to 93%. Our main outcome measure of appropriate oxygen delivery to the patient improved from a baseline of 20% to 80% on completion. Our quality improvement programme has shown simple interventions can improve oxygen prescribing and appropriate delivery of oxygen to the patient. The most effective PDSA interventions were sharing our measurements via email and displaying target oxygen saturation ranges by the patient bedside. We aim to provide future oxygen educational sessions at induction to our staff and scale our quality improvement programme to other wards including our acute medical unit.

Cost-effectiveness of FreeO2 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalised for acute exacerbations: analysis of a pilot study in Quebec

OBJECTIVE

Conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of FreeO2 technology versus manual oxygen-titration technology for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalised for acute exacerbations.

SETTING

Tertiary acute care hospital in Quebec, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

47 patients with COPD hospitalised for acute exacerbations.

INTERVENTION

An automated oxygen-titration and oxygen-weaning technology.

METHODS AND OUTCOMES

The costs for hospitalisation and follow-up for 180 days were calculated using a microcosting approach and included the cost of FreeO2 technology. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated using bootstrap resampling with 5000 replications. The main effect variable was the percentage of time spent at the target oxygen saturation (SpO2). The other two effect variables were the time spent in hyperoxia (target SpO2+5%) and in severe hypoxaemia (SpO2 <85%). The resamplings were based on data from a randomised controlled trial with 47 patients with COPD hospitalised for acute exacerbations.

RESULTS

FreeO2 generated savings of 20.7% of the per-patient costs at 180 days (ie, -$C2959.71). This decrease is nevertheless not significant at the 95% threshold (P=0.13), but the effect variables all improved (P<0.001). The improvement in the time spent at the target SpO2 was 56.3%. The ICERs indicate that FreeO2 technology is more cost-effective than manual oxygen titration with a savings of -$C96.91 per percentage point of time spent at the target SpO2 (95% CI -301.26 to 116.96).

CONCLUSION

FreeO2 technology could significantly enhance the efficiency of the health system by reducing per-patient costs at 180 days. A study with a larger patient sample needs to be carried out to confirm these preliminary results.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01393015; Post-results.

Automated oxygen titration and weaning with FreeO2 in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD: a pilot randomized trial

Introduction

We developed a device (FreeO₂) that automatically adjusts the oxygen flow rates based on patients’ needs, in order to limit hyperoxia and hypoxemia and to automatically wean them from oxygen.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using FreeO₂ in patients hospitalized in the respiratory ward for an acute exacerbation of COPD.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing FreeO₂ vs manual oxygen titration in the respiratory ward of a university hospital. We measured the perception of appropriateness of oxygen titration and monitoring in both groups by nurses and attending physicians using a Likert scale. We evaluated the time in the target range of oxygen saturation (SpO₂) as defined for each patient by the attending physician, the time with severe desaturation (SpO₂ <85%), and the time with hyperoxia (SpO₂ >5% above the target). We also recorded length of stay, intensive care unit admissions, and readmission rate. Fifty patients were randomized (25 patients in both groups; mean age: 72±8 years; mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second: 1.00±0.49 L; and mean initial O₂ flow 2.0±1.0 L/min).

Results

Nurses and attending physicians felt that oxygen titration and monitoring were equally appropriate with both O₂ administration systems. The percentage of time within the SpO₂ target was significantly higher with FreeO₂, and the time with severe desaturation and hyperoxia was significantly reduced with FreeO₂. Time from study inclusion to hospital discharge was 5.8±4.4 days with FreeO₂ and 8.4±6.0 days with usual oxygen administration (P=0.051).

Conclusion

FreeO₂ was deemed as an appropriate oxygen administration system by nurses and physicians of a respiratory unit. This system maintained SpO₂ at the target level better than did manual titration and reduced periods of desaturation and hyperoxia. Our results also suggest that FreeO₂ has the potential to reduce the hospital length of stay.