Automated Oxygen Titration During Walking in Patients With Lung Fibrosis (OXYWILD)

Recruitment of participants

Participants with fibrotic lung disease will be recruited by a pulmonary specialist from the Centre for Rare Lung Diseases, Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, Aarhus University Hospital during a routine outpatient visit. If exertional oxygen desaturation is suspected or has been documented by a six-minute walking test the investigator, a pulmonary specialist will inform the patient about the study and ask for study participation.

The patient will be asked to sign the informed consent. The information given to the patient specifies that the informed consent gives access for study personnel to access the medical record for relevant information necessary to complete the study. The written informed consent form will be signed and personally dated by the subject and the person conducting the informed consent conversation.

Ethical considerations

No risk for the patients is considered to be related to participation in the study. The walking tests are conducted by an experienced physiotherapist with solid knowledge about patients with fibrotic lung disease and when to terminate walking tests due to clinical symptoms. Furthermore, patients are enquired to stop the test if they experience discomfort. Walking tests with or without oxygen supply is a part of standard clinical practice for patients with fibrotic lung disease at the Centre of Rare Lung Diseases and the O2matic has been approved for clinical use.

Patients can benefit individually by gaining knowledge about their oxygen need at exercise, and as a group contribute to increased knowledge about the effect of automated oxygen treatment on dyspnea during exercise and on exercise endurance. International guidelines have restricted recommendations for ambulatory oxygen therapy due to limited evidence. This study may contribute to stronger recommendations for the prescription of ambulatory oxygen therapy in the future.

Inclusion criteria

• Verified diagnosis of fibrotic interstitial lung disease
• Desaturation during a recent (6 months) 6-minute walk test below 88% on atmospheric air or during an incremental shuttle walking test
• Able to walk at least 50 meters
• Self-reported stable respiratory symptoms in the previous 2 weeks
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Cognitively able to understand and participate in the study
• Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Long term oxygen treatment
• A pulmonary or cardiac condition other than fibrotic interstitial lung disease limiting exercise performance
• Unstable heart condition or symptomatic stenotic valve disease
• Any physical condition limiting exercise performance.
• Smoking the previous 24 hours
• Pregnancy
• Anaemia, haemoglobin < 7.3 mmol/l (women) or < 8.3 mmol/l (men)