Hyperoxia

Hyperoxia
Hyperoxia
Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Symptoms	Irritation; Congestion and edema of the lungs;
Complications	Oxygen toxicity; Seizures; Death;
Risk factors	Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy; Underwater Diving;

Hyperoxia occurs when cells, tissues and organs are exposed to an excess supply of oxygen (O₂) or higher than normal partial pressure of oxygen.^[1]

In medicine, it refers to excessive oxygen in the lungs or other body tissues, and results from raised alveolar oxygen partial pressure - that is, alveolar oxygen partial pressure greater than that due to breathing air at normal (sea level) atmospheric pressure. This can be caused by breathing air at pressure above normal or by breathing other gas mixtures with a high oxygen fraction, high ambient pressure or both.

The body is tolerant of some deviation from normal inspired oxygen partial pressure, but a sufficiently elevated level of hyperoxia can lead to oxygen toxicity over time, with the mechanism related to the partial pressure, and the severity related to the dose. Hyperoxia is the opposite of hypoxia; hyperoxia refers to a state in which oxygen supply to the tissues is excessive, and hypoxia refers to a state in which oxygen supply is insufficient.

Supplementary oxygen administration is widely used in emergency and intensive care medicine and can be life-saving in critical conditions, but too much can be harmful and affects a variety of pathophysiological processes. Reactive oxygen species are known problematic by-products of hyperoxia which have an important role in cell signaling pathways. There are a wide range of effects, but when the homeostatic balance is disturbed, reactive oxygen species tend to cause a cycle of tissue injury, with inflammation, cell damage, and cell death.^[2]

In the environment, hyperoxia refers to an abnormally high oxygen concentration in a body of water or other habitat.

^ Mach, William J.; Thimmesch, Amanda R.; Pierce, J. Thomas; Pierce, Janet D. (2011). "Consequences of Hyperoxia and the Toxicity of Oxygen in the Lung". Nursing Research and Practice. 2011: 1–7. doi:10.1155/2011/260482. PMC 3169834. PMID 21994818.
^ Cite error: The named reference Helmerhorst et al 2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Consequences-1] Mach, William J.; Thimmesch, Amanda R.; Pierce, J. Thomas; Pierce, Janet D. (2011). "Consequences of Hyperoxia and the Toxicity of Oxygen in the Lung". Nursing Research and Practice. 2011: 1–7. doi:10.1155/2011/260482. PMC 3169834. PMID 21994818.

[Helmerhorst_et_al_2015-2] Cite error: The named reference Helmerhorst et al 2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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