AUDIT OF OXYGEN MANAGEMENT ON NINE MEDICAL WARDS USING ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING SYSTEMS

Results The mean age was 71 years (48–91yrs); 17 % current smok-ers, 73 % ex-smokers. COPD was the most common diagnosis in 80 % (24/30); the mean FEV1 1.1L (52 % predicted). No definitive diagnosis was documented in 10 % (3/30) with 10 % diagnosed with sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or lung cancer. 64% (19/30) of patients met BTS LTOT criteria, (80 % (19/24) with COPD), 33 % (10/30) did not and 3 % (1/30) were prescribed pallia-tive oxygen. 93 % of patients (27/29) were followed up at 3 months. The mean oxygen flow rate required was 1.4L/min; oxygen flow rate was altered in 63%. The overwhelming majority of our patients, 90 % (26/29), continued with LTOT after reassessment at 3 months and 79 % (23/29) at 6 months. Conclusion Our audit shows that the majority of patients com-menced on oxygen therapy post hospitalisation met the criteria for LTOT and continued to require oxygen at 3 and 6 months; this is a higher figure than quoted in the majority of the literature. This sug-gests our patients are presenting late with underlying chronic lung disease; we need to strive to identify these patients earlier. There is still a lack of evidence-based guidelines for STOT and further research in this area is needed