Oxygen therapy for breathlessness in palliative care

When starting oxygen therapy for breathlessness in patients with palliative care needs, consider the potential benefits, burdens and availability of treatment, and the patient’s prognosis, preferences and goals of care—see Principles of symptom management in palliative care.

Breathlessness does not necessarily indicate hypoxia, and even if a patient is hypoxic, oxygen may not improve breathlessnessMcDonald, 2016. In patients with advanced cardiopulmonary disease or lung cancer who do not have hypoxia, oxygen use does not provide additional symptomatic benefit to intranasal airAbernethy, 2010.