BTS Guideline for oxygen use in healthcare and emergency settings
The 2017 guidance is based on new evidence about how effective prescribing and delivery of emergency oxygen for patients can improve health and saved lives.
Visit our Oxygen Clinical Resource page where you will find a number of useful documents to download.
December 2019 Update
The BTS Standards of Care Committee has recently considered whether the publication of the new evidence in the form of a systematic review and meta-analysis1 provides grounds for an update to certain recommendations within the BTS Guideline for oxygen use in healthcare and emergency settings2.
The current recommendations state that the recommended target saturation range for acutely ill patients not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure is 94–98% and for those with known COPD, or other known risk factors for hypercapnic respiratory failure, a target saturation range of 88–92% is suggested, pending the availability of blood gas results. In response to the conclusions drawn from the systematic review and meta-analysis on mortality and morbidity in acutely ill adults treated with liberal versus conservative oxygen therapy (IOTA)1, the BTS Standards of Care Committee notes that the major thrust of the guideline was to mandate the use of controlled vs liberal oxygen therapy; thus, the overall messages from the BTS guideline2 and the systematic review1 are aligned in stating that controlling oxygen to a target saturation is paramount. The IOTA meta-analysis showed higher oxygen saturations were associated with higher mortality, but the optimal target range was not clearly defined. An interim update of the BTS guideline is not required at the present time.
1. Chu DK et al. Mortality and morbidity in acutely ill adults treated with liberal versus conservative oxygen therapy (IOTA): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet (2018) 391(10131):1693-1705
2. O'Driscoll BR et al. BTS guideline for oxygen use in adults in healthcare and emergency settings. Thorax (2017) 72(Suppl 1):ii1-ii90
December 2019
Current
USE THE ARROWS BELOW TO SORT BY COLUMN| Title | Publication Date | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 BTS Guideline for oxygen use in adults in healthcare and emergency settings | 20170501May 2017 | New guideline on target oxygen saturations commenced 2023. | Valid |
| 01 BTS Guideline for Oxygen use in Healthcare and Emergency Settings - Summary of Recommendations | 20170501May 2017 | Summary of recommendations and good practice points (BMJ Open Respiratory Research) | Valid |
| 02 Oxygen Alert Care template 2017 | 20170501May 2017 | Template for oxygen alert card | Valid |
| 03 Web Appendix 1 - Search Strategy | 20170501May 2017 | Details of the guideline search strategy | Valid |
| 04 Web Appendix 2 - Evidence Table | 20170501May 2017 | Evidence tables | Valid |
| 05 Web Appendix 3 - Summary of guideline for hospital use | 20170501May 2017 | Summary of guideline for hospital use | Valid |
| 06 Web Appendix 4 - Local Oxygen Policy Template | 20170501May 2017 | Template for local oxygen policy | Valid |
| 07 Web Appendix 5 - Summary for ambulance and prehospital settings | 20170501May 2017 | Guideline summary for use in ambulances, community and prehospital settings | Valid |
| 08 Web Appendix 6 - Patient Information | 20170501May 2017 | Patient information leaflet | Valid |
| 09 Web Appendix 7 - Slide Set for Doctors | 20170501May 2017 | Teaching slides for doctors | Valid |
| 10 Web Appendix 8 - Slide set for nurses and AHPs | 20170501May 2017 | Slide set for nurses and AHPs | Valid |
| 11 Web Appendix 9 - Key points for hospital managers | 20170501May 2017 | Key points for hospital managers and oxygen champions | Valid |
| 12 Web Appendix 10 - Key points for primary care | 20170501May 2017 | Key points for primary care | Valid |
| 13 Web Appendix 11 - Dissemination and implementation | 20170501May 2017 | Information on dissemination and implementation of the guideline | Valid |