Oxygen Therapy in the Elderly: When Nasal Cannula Is Not Enough

AbstractRespiratory disease impacts significantly on health economics, and the burden of disease increases with age. A significant proportion of patients will present to acute hospital services with respiratory failure that requires prompt and appropriate management. Multiple options are available to deliver supplemental oxygenation from simple nasal prongs to non-invasive ventilation. The development of high-flow humidified oxygen systems and non-invasive ventilation has had a significant positive impact on the care of patients in respiratory failure. However, it is of crucial importance that individual patients are taken into account as some interventions may not be appropriate. Acceptable outcomes should be documented, and if necessary, a ceiling of care should be agreed so that futile therapies are not implemented.

Source: Current Geriatrics Reports - October 23, 2016 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research