Effects of an Oxymizer® During Daytime in Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Effects of an Oxymizer® During Daytime in Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

This study will investigate the effects of a reservoir nasal cannula (Oxymizer®) compared to a conventional nasal cannula (CNC) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Patients will be recruited during a 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program. They will perform the following three interventions on consecutive days and will repeat them after a week. During these days the time table for prescribed physical activities and therapies will be kept in a comparable fashion.

The following 3 interventions will be performed in randomized order:

Day A: The Patient wears a conventional nasal cannula for 12 h with oxygen flow rate as prescribed during ADL

Day B: The Patient wears the Oxymizer® with prescribed oxygen flow rate for 12 h during ADL

Day C: The patient wears the Oxymizer® with a flow rate reduced by 1l/min in comparison to the prescribed oxygen flow rate, for 12h

The following week the same measurements will be repeated. The mean of the corresponding two measures will be calculated for each approach.

Inclusion Criteria:

• IPF patients with indication for long term oxygen therapy ≥ 2l/min
• VC >30% and < 70% pred.

Exclusion Criteria:

• failure to comply with study process
• acute infection