Hyperoxemia in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU)

In our study, to research the prevalence of hyperoxemia in adult patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and its relationship with clinical outcomes. This single-center, observational study included 260 consecutive patients aged 18-85 years who received oxygen therapy in the ICU for respiratory failure. Hyperoxia was defined as SpO₂\>96% and PaO₂\>100 mmHg in the first 24 hours. Patients were divided into normoxic and hyperoxic groups, and demographic characteristics, comorbidities, ICU admission scores, mechanical ventilation requirements, ICU and hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality were compared.The mean age of the patients was 69.9±15.4 years, and 55.8% were male. According to SpO₂-PaO₂ criteria, hyperoxia was detected in 59.6% (n=155) of patients and normoxia in 40.4% (n=105). The groups were similar in terms of age, gender, BMI, and APACHE II score. The SOFA score and admission GCS were lower in the hyperoxic group, and the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU, and hospital stays were significantly longer (p\<0.01 for all). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the hyperoxic group (82.5% vs. 50.4%; p\<0.001). In our study, hyperoxia developed in approximately two-thirds of the patients in the ICU, and hyperoxia was associated with increased mortality and length of stay. These results highlight the importance of avoiding hyperoxia when titrating oxygen therapy in critically ill patients.