ARDS outcomes ‘not improved’ by low-range oxygen levels

When it comes to giving oxygen to ICU patients being treated for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), less is not more.
A French clinical trial has shown that people getting oxygen on the lower end of the recommended range had a higher 30-day mortality than patients whose partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) exceeded the recommended target of 55-80 mm Hg.
The trial was halted early because the 90-day death rate was unexpectedly higher among the low-oxygen patients.
The death rate at day 28 was 34.4% when the PaO2 target was 55-70 mm Hg (pulse oximetry target for oxygen saturation of 88-92%) for seven days versus a death rate of 26.5% when the PaO2 target was 90-105 mm Hg (oxygen saturation target of greater than 96%).