LONG-TERM OXYGEN-THERAPY

The concept of oxygen as a therapeutic agent was introduced in the 1920s by Alvin Barach.1 Since then, a better understanding of the effects of hypoxemia, and of their reversal with oxygen supplementation, has enhanced the treatment of patients with pulmonary diseases. There are close to 800,000 patients receiving long-term oxygen therapy in the United States, at a yearly cost of $1.8 billion.2,3 We need to understand the effects of oxygen therapy, the indications for it, and its modes of delivery in order to make the most appropriate use of this effective therapeutic resource. In this article, we discuss. © 1995, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.