Oxygen use in low-resource settings: An intervention still triggered by intuition

Abstract Background Although hypoxic patients attending low-resource hospitals have a high mortality, many are not given supplemental oxygen. If oximetry is not available, then the decision to provide oxygen must be based on other factors. Methods The variables associated with the decision to provide supplemental oxygen made by an emergency department staff, without access to oximetry, in a low resource Ugandan hospital were determined from data collected within 16 h of admission to the hospital’s medical and surgical wards. Results Of 2,599 patients, 731 (28.1%) had an oxygen saturation Conclusion The intuitive decision to provide oxygen was strongly associated with in-hospital mortality, suggesting that oxygen was given to those considered the sickest patients. In the future, oximetry may guide oxygen therapy more efficiently.