Treatment algorithm reduces oxygen use in the Emergency Department

Objectives Evaluation of an O-2 treatment algorithm on the basis of current recommendations to reduce the number of patients unnecessarily treated with O-2 in the Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital compared with the traditional application, and analysis of the use of O-2. Design This was a single-centre cohort study with 4 weeks of observation before and after the introduction of an O-2 treatment algorithm. The main outcome measures were the proportion of patients treated with O-2, distribution of indications for O-2 therapy and occurrence of hypoxia and hypercapnia as undesired effects. Results The 4-week period before the intervention included 2190 patients and the 4-week period after the intervention included 2122 patients. The indications for O-2 therapy were very similar in the two periods. After the intervention, the proportion of patients with supplemental O-2 therapy was reduced from 11% (246) to 9% (182) (P < 0.003), a relative decrease of 18%. Undesired effects were similar in nature and frequency in the two observation periods. Conclusion The introduction of an O-2 treatment algorithm in the Emergency Department reduced the number of patients treated with O-2, and the nature and frequency of undesired effects was similar before and after the intervention.