Home oxygen therapy in children with chronic respiratory failure

Background: Home oxygen therapy improves survival and quality, of life ill adults with chronic obstructive airways disease. The few studies about hone oxygen therapy ill children show improvements in weight gain, school performance and decreases in hospitalisation expenses. Aim: To report our experience ill hone oxygen therapy in children followed Sor six months to four years. Patients and methods: Fifty five children, less than 15 years old, discharged, on a University hospital with the diagnosis of chronic respiratory failure. were followed up at their-homes. Results: Discharge diagnoses were bronchopulmonary dysplasia ill 36% of children, postinfectious pulmonary damage ill 22% neonatal distress ill 13%, chronic aspiration ill 9%, cystic fibrosis ill 7% and miscellaneous ill 13%. Forty sir completed at least 6 months of follow up, five moved to other hospitals, three required ventilatory support and one died. Oxygen was discontinued in 33 patients, and this occurred before the ninth month of follow up ill 88% Of those children. Neonatal distress and bronchopulmonary dysplasia had the best prognoses, ard oxygen was discontinued at 4 +/- I and 5.7 +/- 3 months respectively. Patients with postinfectious pulmonary disease had a higher incidence of bronchoneumoniae, ald those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia a higher incidence of acute bronchiolitis: that motivated hospital admissions. Expenses dire to home oxygen were lower than hospitalization costs. No adverse effects tael-e detected. Conclusions: Infants and newborns on bone oxygen therapy have a good prognosis, specially those with reversible diseases. This type of therapy, allows all earlier hospital discharge with considerable cost reductions.