Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.

Hypoxaemia is commonly associated with mortality in developing countries, yet feasible and cost-effective ways to address hypoxaemia receive little or no attention in current global health strategies. Oxygen treatment has been used in medicine for almost 100 years, but in developing countries most s...

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Main Authors: Duke, T, Graham, S, Cherian, M, Ginsburg, A, English, M, Howie, S, Peel, D, Enarson, P, Wilson, I, Were, W
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2010
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author Duke, T
Graham, S
Cherian, M
Ginsburg, A
English, M
Howie, S
Peel, D
Enarson, P
Wilson, I
Were, W
author_facet Duke, T
Graham, S
Cherian, M
Ginsburg, A
English, M
Howie, S
Peel, D
Enarson, P
Wilson, I
Were, W
author_sort Duke, T
collection OXFORD
description Hypoxaemia is commonly associated with mortality in developing countries, yet feasible and cost-effective ways to address hypoxaemia receive little or no attention in current global health strategies. Oxygen treatment has been used in medicine for almost 100 years, but in developing countries most seriously ill newborns, children and adults do not have access to oxygen or the simple test that can detect hypoxaemia. Improving access to oxygen and pulse oximetry has demonstrated a reduction in mortality from childhood pneumonia by up to 35% in high-burden child pneumonia settings. The cost-effectiveness of an oxygen systems strategy compares favourably with other higher profile child survival interventions, such as new vaccines. In addition to its use in treating acute respiratory illness, oxygen treatment is required for the optimal management of many other conditions in adults and children, and is essential for safe surgery, anaesthesia and obstetric care. Oxygen concentrators provide the most consistent and least expensive source of oxygen in health facilities where power supplies are reliable. Oxygen concentrators are sustainable in developing country settings if a systematic approach involving nurses, doctors, technicians and administrators is adopted. Improving oxygen systems is an entry point for improving the quality of care. For these broad reasons, and for its vital importance in reducing deaths due to lung disease in 2010: Year of the Lung, oxygen deserves a higher priority on the global health agenda.
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spelling oxford-uuid:ffcf6017-afa4-499e-b93d-4cbb9a6df2bb2022-03-27T13:47:47ZOxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ffcf6017-afa4-499e-b93d-4cbb9a6df2bbEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Duke, TGraham, SCherian, MGinsburg, AEnglish, MHowie, SPeel, DEnarson, PWilson, IWere, WHypoxaemia is commonly associated with mortality in developing countries, yet feasible and cost-effective ways to address hypoxaemia receive little or no attention in current global health strategies. Oxygen treatment has been used in medicine for almost 100 years, but in developing countries most seriously ill newborns, children and adults do not have access to oxygen or the simple test that can detect hypoxaemia. Improving access to oxygen and pulse oximetry has demonstrated a reduction in mortality from childhood pneumonia by up to 35% in high-burden child pneumonia settings. The cost-effectiveness of an oxygen systems strategy compares favourably with other higher profile child survival interventions, such as new vaccines. In addition to its use in treating acute respiratory illness, oxygen treatment is required for the optimal management of many other conditions in adults and children, and is essential for safe surgery, anaesthesia and obstetric care. Oxygen concentrators provide the most consistent and least expensive source of oxygen in health facilities where power supplies are reliable. Oxygen concentrators are sustainable in developing country settings if a systematic approach involving nurses, doctors, technicians and administrators is adopted. Improving oxygen systems is an entry point for improving the quality of care. For these broad reasons, and for its vital importance in reducing deaths due to lung disease in 2010: Year of the Lung, oxygen deserves a higher priority on the global health agenda.
spellingShingle Duke, T
Graham, S
Cherian, M
Ginsburg, A
English, M
Howie, S
Peel, D
Enarson, P
Wilson, I
Were, W
Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title_full Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title_fullStr Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title_full_unstemmed Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title_short Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action.
title_sort oxygen is an essential medicine a call for international action
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