Short-term oxygen supplementation improves exercise capacity in fibrotic interstitial lung disease

For patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease, undergoing oxygen therapy in the short term helps increase exercise duration and reduce fatigue and dyspnoea during exercise, as shown in a study.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in which the effectiveness of oxygen therapy in improving the exertional capacity of patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease was evaluated.

Multiple online databases were searched for relevant literature. The primary outcome was peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) during exercise. Other outcomes included fatigue, dyspnoea, heart rate, and exercise duration or distance.

Fourteen randomized controlled trials, with a total population of 370 patients, met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled data showed that oxygen therapy led to marked improvements in SpO2 during exercise (mean difference, 6.26 percent), exercise duration (mean difference, 122.15 sec), fatigue (standard mean difference, −0.30), and dyspnoea (mean difference, −0.75 Borg score units).

Further analyses demonstrated that high-flow oxygen systems yielded better outcomes compared with low-flow systems in terms of exercising SpO2, duration, fatigue, dyspnoea, and heart rate. Meanwhile, high-flow nasal cannulas were more effective than high-flow Venturi masks with regard to SpO2 (mean difference, 1.60 percent) and fatigue (MD, −1.19 Borg score units).

There were no reports of major adverse events.

More studies to assess the long-term effects of oxygen therapy on quality of life and mortality in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease are needed.