Frequency of accuracy of oxygen prescription in a teaching hospital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Objective: to determine the frequency of accuracy of oxygen prescription in a teaching hospital of khyber pakhtunkhwa. methodology: this was a hospital based descriptive study performed in lady reading hospital,peshawar,khyber pakhtunkhwa,in may and june 2015. the study sample included a total of 110 admitted patients of either gender and of any age in various units (medical and allied,surgical and allied,gynae/obstetrics and paediatrics),who were on oxygen therapy and the oxygen was prescribed on treatment charts. data was collected regarding oxygen prescription,administration and monitoring. accuracy of oxygen prescription was determined. descriptive statistical analysis was employed utilizing spss version 21.0. results: of the 110 in-patients who were on oxygen therapy,52 (47.3%) were males and 58 (52.7%) were females. source of oxygen (as centralized supply or oxygen cylinders) was not mentioned in 89 (80.9%) patients. face mask was used for administration of oxygen in 95 (86.4%) of patients. method of oxygen administration was not mentioned in 90.0% patients,duration of therapy not mentioned in 86.4%,oxygen flow rate not mentioned in 83.6% and signature of doctor or prescriber not found in 81.8% patients. only 17 (15.5%) prescriptions stated all the required parameters and were considered as accurate. conclusion: accuracy of oxygen prescriptions based on required parameters were found only in a minority of prescriptions. most frequent deficiency in oxygen prescriptions was lack of mention of fio2 followed by method of oxygen administration,oxygen flow rate and signature of doctor or prescriber. face mask was the most frequent device for administration of oxygen. © 2017,postgraduate medical institute. all rights reserved.