Oxygen therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials

BackgroundOxygen therapy is widely used for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there is uncertainty about its safety and benefits. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness and safety of oxygen therapy for patients with AMI.Materials and methodsWe searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1 January 1967, through 31 December 2017. We included randomized controlled clinical trials that used oxygen therapy for patients with suspected or confirmed AMI less than 24h of symptoms onset. Hyperbaric and aqueous oxygen therapy trials were excluded.ResultsA total of six randomized controlled clinical trials with 7190 individuals were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with no oxygen group, oxygen therapy did not reduce the risk of all-cause mortality [pooled risk ratio (RR): 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56-2.02, P=0.19], recurrent myocardial infarction (pooled RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.88-2.80, P=0.18), and pain (pooled RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.82-1.14, P=0.25).ConclusionIn this meta-analysis, oxygen inhalation did not benefit patients with AMI with normal oxygen saturation.