Oxygen therapy use and barriers among doctors and nurses

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Objectives: Healthcare providers often prescribe and administer oxygen inappropriately in emergency settings, contributing to a significant knowledge gap. This can have devastating consequences, with at least 1.4million deaths attributed to inadequate or improper oxygen therapy. We aimed to evaluate the use of oxygen therapy & its barriers among doctors and nurses. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, hospital-based cross-sectional study. Data were collected electronically via Google Forms; the questionnaire included professional characteristics, educational background, awareness and use of oxygen therapy guidelines, oxygen delivery practices, and barriers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the association between variables was explored using the Chi-square test at P<0.05. Results: 200 healthcare professionals participated in this study, comprising 159 (79.5%) doctors and 41 (20.5%) nurses. One hundred and thirty-one (82.4%) doctors and thirty-six (87.8%) nurses demonstrated good knowledge of oxygen therapy, p - 0.002. 145 (72.5%) of participants were evaluated as having a good level of practice. The majority, 190 (95%), believed that malfunctioning oxygen cylinders and concentrators were barriers to the adequate use of oxygen therapy. 170 (85.5%) had no special training in oxygen therapy. 63 (31.5%) were aware of oxygen therapy guidelines, but only 53 (26.5%) had applied these guidelines. Conclusion: Doctors and nurses demonstrate a good knowledge and practice of oxygen therapy; however, a training gap exists. To bridge this gap, regular educational programs on oxygen therapy based on the latest guidelines are essential to ensure best practices and optimal care.

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