Are there any circumstances when oxygen should not be used, or used with caution?

Medical oxygen can be prescribed safely for the majority of patients without any associated risks. In all cases it should be used as prescribed and should be based on pulse oximetry or arterial blood gas samples.

There are few instances where care is needed when prescribing oxygen, these include:

• Use in neonates

• Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients who are hypercapnic

• Patients prescribed bleomycin and amiodarone

• Patients who have consumed paraquat

For further guidance please see relevant guidelines from the British Thoracic Society (BTS), European resuscitation council etc.