# Long-term oxygen therapy to reduce length of hospital stay in COVID-19

## TL;DR

Long-term oxygen therapy helps reduce hospital stays for COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe symptoms and obesity.

## Contribution

The study shows long-term oxygen therapy effectively reduces hospitalization time for COVID-19 patients regardless of severity.

## Key findings

- 69% of patients stopped long-term oxygen therapy within 15 days after discharge.
- Obese patients with severe symptoms and longer ventilation needed continued oxygen therapy.
- Faster disease progression was linked to the need for prolonged oxygen therapy.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of long-term oxygen therapy as a strategy to reduce hospitalization time in patients affected by COVID-19.

Between April and December 2021, COVID-19 patients with stable clinical conditions needing supplementary oxygen therapy during hospitalization were oriented to have hospital discharge with long-term oxygen therapy and reassessment after 15 days.

A total of 62 patients were evaluated and, 15 days after discharge, 69% of patients had suspended long-term oxygen therapy, with no difference between the groups admitted to the intensive care unit or the ward (p=0.319). Among the individuals who needed to maintain long-term oxygen therapy, in addition to worse P/F ratio (265±57 vs. 345±51; p<0.001) and lower partial pressure of oxygen (55±12 vs. 72±11 mmHg; p<0.001), were those more obese (37±8 vs. 30±6 kg/m2; p=0.032), needed more time for invasive mechanical ventilation (46±27 vs. 20±16 days; p=0.029), had greater persistence of symptoms (p<0.001), and shorter time between the onset of symptoms and the need for hospitalization (7 [2–9] vs. 10 [6–12] days; p=0.039).

Long-term oxygen therapy is an effective strategy for reducing hospitalization time in COVID-19 patients, regardless of gravity. Additionally, more obese patients with persistence of respiratory symptoms, faster disease evolution, and more days of invasive mechanical ventilation needed to maintain the long-term oxygen therapy longer.