Review of Home Oxygen Therapy Provided by Our Hospital / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Prognostic facfors were examined in 71 patients receiving home oxygen therapy under the direction of our hospital between 1984 and 1994. In 25 patients who had undergone right catheterization, relationships between pulmonary hemodynamics and prognosis were also discussed. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (P<SUB>PA</SUB>) were correlated negatively with PaO<SUB>2</SUB>. This indicated that hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction was the major cause of pulmonary hypertention in these patients. Pulmonary hypertention was revealed in 80% of the patients with P<SUB>PA</SUB> ≥20 Torr and in 52% of the patients with P<SUB>PA</SUB> ≥25 Torr. Acute hemodynamic effects of low-flow oxygen administration were investigated in 17 patients. P<I>PA</I> decreased significantly from 25.5 Torr to 23.5 Torr after oxygen administration and pulmonary arteriolar resistance (PAR) decreased from 243 dynes ·ses ·cm<SUP>-5</SUP> to 225 dynes&middot;sec·cm<SUP>-5</SUP>, but this change was not significant.<BR>In patients with pulmonary fibrosis and sequelae of tuberculosis, the survival rates were lower than that of the patients with pulmonary emphysema. The median survival time (MST) for patients with cor pulmonale was significantly lower than that for those without cor pulmonale. When background factors were compared between the group with % home stay≥90% and % home stay<90%, there were no significant differences in observation periods, arterial blood gases and spirometry. The factors influencing % home stay were considered to be an important subject in addition to improving the survival rate.