Automated Oxygen Control Improves Oxygen Targeting in Emergency Department Patients

A recently published study led by Dr Louis Kirton at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand has demonstrated a significant advancement in the delivery of oxygen to acutely unwell patients.

The study, published in BMJ Emergency Medicine, evaluated the effectiveness of automated oxygen control using nasal high flow (NHF) in an Emergency Department setting.

Dr Kirton and his team conducted a trial involving patients admitted to the Wellington Regional Hospital Emergency Department with low oxygen levels. All participants received oxygen via NHF to maintain a target oxygen saturation (SpO2) range. The method of oxygen control was randomly assigned: half received automatically controlled oxygen, and the other half received manually controlled oxygen.

The study found that participants receiving automatically controlled oxygen had their SpO2 maintained within the target range for a significantly greater proportion of the study period than those receiving manual oxygen control. This finding was consistent across participants requiring a target SpO2 range of either 88–92% or 92–96%.

Dr Kirton highlighted the importance of these findings, stating, “We knew that automated oxygen control systems used with NHF can be effectively used on hospital medical wards and Intensive Care Units, but this study shows that they are also effective in an ED. This finding is particularly relevant for acutely unwell ED patients who may benefit from early use of this accurate and highly responsive automated oxygen control system to help stabilise their condition.”

The implications for healthcare are significant. The study suggests that automated oxygen control used with NHF could improve patient care across a broader range of hospital settings. The ability of the automated oxygen control systems to precisely adjust oxygen levels may help protect ED patients from the risks associated with low or high oxygen levels, thereby improving patient outcomes.

While the trial focused on acutely unwell ED patients using NHF, Dr Kirton notes the need for further research in hospitalised patients requiring other forms of respiratory support, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Further studies are needed to establish whether automated oxygen control systems confer a recovery and survival benefit, and these studies should include more diverse patient populations across a wide range of clinical settings.

This study represents a significant step forward in oxygen delivery, showcasing the potential of advanced technology to improve clinical outcomes. The automated oxygen control system by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare tested in this trial offers a promising solution for accurate oxygen delivery to ED patients who require oxygen.

For more information about the study and its findings, please refer to the full publication HERE.