N Engl J Med

ERS 2024: Is 24-hour/day oxygen therapy for severe hypoxemia warranted?

September 16, 2024

Long-term oxygen therapy used for 24 hours per day didn't result in a lower risk of hospitalization or death within 1 year compared with therapy for 15 hours per day, according to findings from the Registry-Based Treatment Duration and Mortality in Long-Term Oxygen Therapy (REDOX) randomized trial.

• Patients starting oxygen therapy for chronic, severe hypoxemia at rest were randomly assigned to receive long-term oxygen therapy for 24 (n=117) or 15 hours (n=124) per day (mean age, 76 years; 59% female). Primary outcome was a composite of hospitalization or death from any cause within 1 year. Secondary outcomes included individual components of the primary outcome assessed at 3 and 12 months.
• Risk of hospitalization or death within 1 year in the 24-hour group was no different than that in the 15-hour group (mean rate, 124.7 vs. 124.5 events per 100 person-years, respectively).
• The groups also didn't differ substantially in the incidence of hospitalization for any cause, death from any cause, or adverse events.

Source:

Ekström M, et al; REDOX Collaborative Research Group. (2024, September 10). N Engl J Med. Long-Term Oxygen Therapy for 24 or 15 Hours per Day in Severe Hypoxemia. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39254466/