Oxygen Therapy Is Associated with Poor Patient-Reported Outcomes in COPD and IPF

The need for home oxygen use is associated with worse patient-reported outcomes in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to research being presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2019.

Researchers assessed the COPD Patient-Powered Research Network and PaTH Clinical Data Research Network to identify 5,652 patients. They performed a cross-sectional analysis to estimate the prevalence of home oxygen therapy in this patient population. Researchers used the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to assess physical function, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep, satisfaction with participation in social roles, ability to participate in social roles, and pain interference. Higher PROMIS T-scores indicated worse outcomes.

In this cohort, 5,334 patients had COPD and 154 had IPF; 18% and 34%, respectively, reported in-home oxygen use with ambulation and/or during sleep, while 32% and 31%, respectively, reported using continuous home oxygen. Patients with IPF who used oxygen were more likely to be older (87% vs. 77% aged ≥60 years; P=0.02), male (57% vs. 39%; P<0.001), and married or living with a partner (79% vs. 55%; P<0.001) compared with patients with COPD who used oxygen.

There was no significant difference in race/ethnicity or education levels between patients with IPF and COPD who used oxygen. Oxygen use was associated with a significantly higher proportion of patients who reported worse physical function in those with COPD and IPF (P<0.001). A greater proportion of patients with IPF who used oxygen reported worse satisfaction with social roles compared with those who did not use oxygen (P<0.001). Oxygen use was associated with a greater proportion of patients with COPD who reported experiencing anxiety, depression, fatigue, and lower ability to participate in social roles (P<0.001 for all). If you’re thinking about buying a system, you can visit https://www.oxygenconcentratoradvice.com/ to find the best oxygen concentrators on the market.

“Patients with COPD and IPF both report limitations in quality of life domains,” the researchers noted. They said that oxygen use was associated with decreased physical function and could indicate greater disease severity.

Reference

Prieto-Centurion V, Dimmock A, Krishnan J, et al. The need for oxygen therapy is associated with worse patient-reported outcomes in patients with COPD and IPF. Presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2019. October 19-23, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana.