The Oxygen project: a prospective study to assess the effectiveness of a targeted intervention to improve oxygen management in hospitalised patients.

Background: Oxygen is commonly used in the acute care setting. However, used inappropriately, oxygen therapy can result in adverse consequences, including progressive respiratory failure and death.

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of a targeted intervention to improve prescribing practice and therapeutic application of supplemental oxygen.

Methods: Respiratory, Oncology and Surgery wards were targeted for the intervention. Nursing and junior medical staff from these wards undertook an education programme about safe use of oxygen. Cross-sectional data about oxygen prescribing, administration and monitoring were collected on inpatients in these wards at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention, using a modified version of the British Thoracic Society Oxygen Audit Tool.

Results: At baseline, there was a written prescription for oxygen in 56% of patients (n = 43) using oxygen and this increased to 75% (n = 44) at 3 months, and remained at 65% (n = 48) at 6 months. However, the increased prescription rates were not statistically significant when compared to baseline (χ = 3.54, df = 1, P = 0.06 and χ = 0.73, df = 1, P = 0.40, respectively). The observed increase in oxygen prescriptions was driven by the medical wards: Oncology ward at 3 months (χ = 8.24, df = 1, P = 0.004); and Respiratory ward at 3 months (χ = 3.31, df = 1, P = 0.069) and 6 months (χ = 4.98, df = 1, P = 0.026).

Conclusion: The education programme intervention to improve oxygen prescription showed promise in the medical wards but did not impact outcomes in the surgical ward setting, where different strategies may be needed.