[Oxygen saturation during sleep in chronic obstructive lung diseases before and after bronchodilator therapy. A controlled, prospective study in 36 patients].

In a study of nocturnal oxygen saturation by transcutaneous oximetry in 36 patients, 26 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of varying degrees were compared with 10 patients without lung disease. The oxygen measurements were performed in all COPD patients before and after an 8-10 days' course of anti-obstructive therapy on an inpatient basis. COPD patients had more severe desaturation during night-time than those without lung disease. The severity of nocturnal desaturation correlates with severity of the obstructive lung disease. Anti-obstructive therapy significantly improves nocturnal oxygenation in patients with COPD. We conclude that strictly performed anti-obstructive therapy may diminish nocturnal oxygen desaturation and its negative sequelae, and therefore could have a positive effect on the prognosis of COPD patients.