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Intranasal oxygen is often used to relieve severe dyspnea in terminally ill patients, even when their PaO2 is not low enough to qualify for long-term oxygen therapy (i.e., <55 mm Hg). But no clear evidence indicates that palliative oxygen has symptomatic benefits.
Investigators randomized 239 patients with life-limiting illness, refractory dyspnea, and PaO2 >55 mm Hg to receive either oxygen or room air at 2L/minute via nasal cannula for at least 15 hours daily for 7 days. Beginning 2 days before the intervention started, patients were asked every morning and evening to rate their current dyspnea using a validated 10-point scale and to report secondary outcomes (e.g., quality of life).
No significant between-group differences were noted in re…