Abstract
Oxygen is a prescribed drug which is widely used in cardiac care. Its inappropriate use can have harmful effects to the patients and would be less cost effective. Aim: This study was carried out to gain an insight into clinical practice of prescribing oxygen therapy in busy cardiology unit and whether it's affecting patient care.Method:We prospectively audited twenty patients in different Cardiology Wards: two acute and two non acute wards over 2 months. Oxygen indication, mode of delivery, documentation in case notes and prescriptions on drug charts were studied. Conclusion:Oxygen was poorly prescribed. No patients were prescribed oxygen on drug chart and very few patients (5 patients; 25%) had documentation of oxygen therapy in case notes. Nasal prongs were the most preferred mode of delivery for oxygen. Review of current best practice and UK/European guidance on use of oxygen in acute cardiac care has also been discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Internet Journal of Cardiology |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- Acute oxygen therapy
- Audit
- Behaviour
- Hypoxia
- Oxygen
- Prescription