Two recent large-scale studies of the effects of long-term oxygen therapy at home were launched last year by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NFLBI) and the non-profit research organization Rand Corporation. Although oxygen therapy has been available for many decades, its benefits are becoming increasingly clear. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
At the end of last year, NHLBI presented the largest randomized clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of long-term oxygen therapy for patients with COPD. A project worth $ 28 million for 6 years will study patients with moderate lung disease. The study will involve about 3,500 patients in the United States with moderate COPD to determine if home oxygen therapy will help patients live longer and more actively. Contract awards were provided to 14 local sites for research.
At 14 field research sites that were awarded contracts:
Brigham and Women's Hospital (John Reilly, MD)
* Clinical Clinic Foundation (James Stoller, MD, MS)
* Denver Medical Health Center (Rick Albert, MD)
* Duke University (Neil McIntyre, MD)
* Kaiser Permanente Northwest (Thomas Stibolt, MD)
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (Richard Casaburi, MD)
* Ohio State University (Phillip Diaz, MD)
Temple University (Gerard Creer, MD)
* University of Alabama at Birmingham (J. Allen Cooper, Jr., MD)
* University of Michigan (Fernando J. Martinez, MD, MS)
* University of Pittsburgh (Frank Sciurba, MD)
* University of Utah (Richard Kanner, MD)
* University of Washington (David Ay, MD, MS)
* University of Washington (Roger Yousen, MD, MPH)
About 12 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with COPD, while another 12 million are considered undiagnosed. Approximately 1 million patients with COPD in the United States are currently receiving oxygen therapy. Studies show that Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease received only 55% of the recommended care. Many people who have COPD do not even shy away from them. They eliminate the primary symptom, shortness of breath, a sign of aging or lack of form. According to a Rand study, from 27,000 to 54,000 deaths in the United States from COPD can be reduced by appropriate use of oxygen. According to Dr. Robert A. Wise from Johns Hopkins University: “We will not be able to get them up to 100 percent, but we can almost always make them much more self-sufficient, and this is something that many COPD patients are worried about is not just shortness of breath and the loss of loss. "
The Rand study also showed that only 32% of patients with COPD with basic hypoxia received home oxygen therapy for routine management. James Keely, Ph.D., director of the NHLBI, notes: "As the population ages, the number of people suffering from COPD grows with chronic lung diseases such as COPD."
One of the most popular ways to get home oxygen therapy is an oxygen concentrator. Oxygen concentrators are simply plugged into a standard electrical outlet, eliminating the need for oxygen cylinders and supplies. Portable oxygen concentrators offer even greater mobility; Some models can be plugged into your car's outlet or can be used with rechargeable batteries. Inogen One is a portable oxygen concentrator with such advanced features.
