Clinical studies have shown that Long-Term Oxygen Therapy (LTOT) can improve their quality of life and survival rates, and reduce depression and hospitalisation.
Increased quality of life and survival rates
1. Continuous or Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy in Hypoxemic Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: A Clinical Trial in Annals of Internal Medicine, 1980; 93(3): 391 – 398
2. Report from the Medical Research Council Working Party. Long Term Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy In Chronic Hypoxic Cor Pulmonale Complicating Chronic Bronchitis And Emphysemain The Lancet, Volume 317, No. 8222, 681 – 686, March 198
Reduced depression
Petty T, Supportive Therapy in COPD in Chest, 1998; 113(4_supplement); 256S-262S
Cottrell J, et al. Home Oxygen Therapy : A Comparison of 2- vs 6-Month Patient Reevaluationin Chest, 1995;107 (2):358-361
Reduced hospitalisation
Ringbaek TJ, et al. Does long-term oxygen therapy reduce hospitalisation in hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? in European Respiratory Journal, 2002; 20:1, 38–42