Evaluation of Automatic Oxygen Flow Titration During Walking in Patients With COPD

Laval University16 enrolled

Overview

The aim of the current study was to evaluate a new system (FreeO2) that automatically titrates oxygen flow to maintain stable SpO2, in patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during exercise. The investigators hypothesized that continuous automatic adjustment of the oxygen flows during exercise would better maintain patients within the oxygenation target, reduce episodes of desaturation and hyperoxia and would improve walking exercise tolerance in comparison with fixed levels of low-flow oxygen and with compressed air breathing.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

Conditions

COPD Exercise Endurance Shuttle Walking Test (Exercise at 85% of Maximal Shuttle Walking Test)

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 40 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients older than 40 years * Moderate to severe COPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines * Who did not require long-term oxygen therapy were included in the study. * Patients were also selected on the basis of known (end-exercise SpO2 \< 90% on a previous exercise test) or suspected (SpO2 \< 95% at rest) desaturation during exercise Exclusion Criteria: * Episode of exacerbation or hospitalisation within last four weeks * Current medical condition that could influence exercise tolerance

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Time within predefined SpO2 target

The primary outcome of the study was the percentage of exercise time during which patients were kept within the SpO2 target of 92 to 96%

Time frame: during exercise (Endurance shuttle walking test)

Secondary Outcomes

Exercise tolerance

Endurance shuttle walking test time and distance

Time frame: duration of ESWT