Problems related to oxygenotherapy in hospitalised adults: a systematic review

Objectives and methods: The objective of this study was to identify problems related to oxygen therapy in hospitalized adults in the literature. The systematic review was developed to identify problems related to oxygen therapy in hospitalised adults and classify them by means of an expert panel using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe, version 9.1. Results: Of the 2,618 articles initially identified for the systematic review, 18 met the eligibility criteria, of which five were carried out in Australia (5/18; 27.7%), and the most frequent study design was clinical trial (5/18; 27.7%). An analysis by the expert panel identified hyperoxia as the main cause of patients’ problems (17/18; 94.4%), and no DRP (drug-related problem) was classified as P1.1 (no treatment effect medication, despite the correct use) or P3.2 (unclear problem or complaint: further clarification is required). Studies show that problems related to oxygen therapy are mostly associated with high doses, often caused by failures in the care process such as errors in prescriptions and failures in administration and monitoring of use. Conclusions: the results reinforce the need for the involvement of all members of the multidisciplinary team in the care of patients on oxygen. In addition, the role of the pharmacist in establishing protocols for use with the team, in the standardisation of the system for prescribing medicinal gases, in the validation of medical prescriptions, and in the pharmacotherapeutic follow-up can contribute to the quality and safety of the services provided by health institutions.