Additional oxygen in the treatment of cystic fibrosis

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer from breathing problems. Giving additional oxygen has long been a standard of care for people with chronic lung diseases. It is common for doctors to prescribe this treatment for people with CF when there is not enough oxygen in their blood. We looked for evidence that this treatment improves the length and quality of life for people with CF. We found eleven studies with 172 participants to include in the review. All studies compared low-flow oxygen to room air. Ten of the studies were short-term. Four of the studies looked at giving additional oxygen at night. At night, oxygen levels rose during both rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep in those people breathing low-flow oxygen. Participants breathing oxygen at night also spent less time in REM sleep and took less time to fall asleep. Six of the studies looked at the effect of extra oxygen on exercise. The levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood of participants increased during or after exercise when they breathed in low-flow oxygen. People were able to exercise for longer if they breathed in low-flow oxygen. There was more regular attendance at school or work in those receiving long-term oxygen. There is little evidence to support or oppose the long-term use of oxygen therapy in people with advanced CF lung disease. In the short term, treatment has shown some improvement in blood oxygen levels in people with CF during sleep and exercise. This increase in oxygen also came with an increase in carbon dioxide levels, which is probably not clinically important. However, caution needs to be exercised in those with advanced lung disease where this may require further monitoring.There should be research into the effects of long-term oxygen treatment on sleep quality and exercise in people with CF.