What Researchers Did
Researchers combined data from 24 cohort studies to see whether critically ill adults who had unusually high blood oxygen levels (hyperoxia) had worse outcomes than those with normal oxygen levels.
What They Found
This meta-analysis of 19 pooled cohort studies found that arterial hyperoxia during hospital admission was associated with increased in-hospital mortality, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.21 (95% CI, 1.08-1.37, p equals 0.001). Functional outcome measures varied across studies but generally favored patients with normal oxygen levels (normoxia) over those with hyperoxia. The review excluded patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, those on extracorporeal life support, and those receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Due to limited data, no studies focused on acute lung injury, sepsis, shock, or multiple trauma could be included.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The review pooled observational cohort studies with differing definitions of hyperoxia and admission diagnoses, which limits the ability to draw firm causal conclusions about oxygen levels and mortality.