Q: Oxygen should be given to all suspected coronary syndrome patients, even if their saturation is normal.

True or False?

Answer: False

Traditionally, high flow oxygen with recommendation of  4 L/min was recommended for everyone with suspected coronary syndromes but recent data shows that routine use  of oxygen in all coronary syndrome may lead to increased mortality and infarct size. Therefore, oxygen is recommended only if oxygen saturation is low or patient is in respiratory distress.

References:

1. Wijesinghe M, Perrin K, Ranchord A, Simmonds M, Weatherall M, Beasley R (March 2009). "Routine use of oxygen in the treatment of myocardial infarction: systematic review". Heart 95 (3): 198–202.

2. Cabello JB, Burls A, Emparanza JI, Bayliss S, Quinn T (2013). Cabello, Juan B, ed. "Oxygen therapy for acute myocardial infarction". Cochrane Database Syst Rev 8: CD00716

3. Hamm CW, Bassand JP, Agewall S, Bax J, Boersma E, Bueno H, Caso P, Dudek D, Gielen S, Huber K, Ohman M, Petrie MC, Sonntag F, Uva MS, Storey RF, Wijns W, Zahger D. ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation: The Task Force for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J 2011;32:2999–3054.

4. Steg PG, James SK, Atar D, Badano LP, Lundqvist CB, Borger MA, Di Mario C, Dickstein K, Ducrocq G, Fernandez-Aviles F, Gershlick AH, Giannuzzi P, Halvorsen S, Huber K, Juni P, Kastrati A, Knuuti J, Lenzen MJ, Mahaffey KW, Valgimigli M, Van't Hof A, Widimsky P, Zahger D. ESC Guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation: The Task Force on the management of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J. Advance Access published August 24, 2012, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehs215.