17.01.4.5 Oxygen for COPD

In severe COPD, there is persistent hypoxemia (low levels of circulating oxygen). The obvious way to overcome this is to give oxygen at high levels than in atmosphere. Thus, in severe COPD, there is home use of oxygen for up to 18 hours a day, and this includes sleep time. The oxygen is usually administered by a nasal cannula i.e. cannula up the nose. Low concentrations of oxygen are required, as subjects with COPD have high concentrations of carbon dioxide, and if these are further increased they may develop hypercapnia (carbon dioxide poisoning).