Should Stroke Victims Routinely Receive Supplemental Oxygen?

Abstract

Background and Purpose —We sought to test the hypothesis that breathing 100% oxygen for the first 24 hours after an acute stroke would not reduce mortality, impairment, or disability. Methods —Subjects admitted to the Central Hospital of Akershus, Norway, with stroke onset Results —One-year survival was 69% in the oxygen group and 73% in the control group (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.57 to 1.19; P =0.30). Impairment scores and disability scores were comparable 7 months after stroke. Among patients with Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS) scores of ≥40, 82% in the oxygen group and 91% in the control group survived (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.90; P =0.023). For patients with SSS scores of P =0.54). Conclusions —Supplemental oxygen should not routinely be given to nonhypoxic stroke victims with minor or moderate strokes. Further research is needed to give conclusive advice concerning oxygen supplementation for patients with severe strokes.