Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40044186›Full record

SynthesisEuropean respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society2025

Supplemental oxygen for symptomatic relief in people with serious respiratory illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zainab Ahmadi, Natasha E Smallwood, Anne-Marie Russell, Ravijyot Saggu, Lorena Romero, Anne E Holland, Magnus Ekström

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zainab AhmadiRespiratory Medicine, Allergology and Palliative Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden zai.ahmd@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1434-5715
Natasha E SmallwoodDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3403-3586
Anne-Marie RussellInstitute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0468-3537
Ravijyot SagguPharmacy Medicines Management team, Central London Community Health Trust, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5078-4398
Lorena RomeroThe Ian Potter Library, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9884-5463
Anne E HollandCentral Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2061-845X
Magnus EkströmRespiratory Medicine, Allergology and Palliative Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7227-5113

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with serious respiratory illness frequently have a high symptom burden and may be prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy with the aims of reducing the severity of breathlessness and improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of oxygen therapy

methodsA comprehensive search was performed in Embase, Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomised controlled trials published prior to June 2022. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for appraising the studies and conducted random-effect meta-analyses when appropriate. We pooled effects recorded on different scales as standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals. Lower SMDs indicated decreased breathlessness or HRQoL. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework.

resultsWe found that supplemental oxygen (compared with sham air or no treatment), reduced breathlessness intensity during laboratory exercise testing (SMD -0.75, 95% CI -1.23--0.28, 12 randomised control trials (RCTs), 245 participants), but had no shown effect on breathlessness measured in daily life (SMD -0.08, 95% CI -0.41-0.26, one RCT, 213 participants) or HRQoL (SMD -0.06, -0.17-0.05, 14 RCTs, 1062 participants). Few or no adverse events related to oxygen therapy were reported. For all the outcomes, the certainty of evidence was low.

conclusionsOxygen improved exertional breathlessness in laboratory-based exercise studies but was not shown to improve breathlessness or HRQoL in daily life.

Indexed as

DyspneaOxygen Inhalation TherapyHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID40044186
PMCPMC11880903

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.