At present, evidence is lacking to support routine liberal oxygen administration in acutely ill patients and, in most circumstances, a reasonable approach is to titrate supplemental oxygen to achieve an arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) of 92–96% with the aim of avoiding both hypoxaemia and hyperoxemia. Recent findings generally support the notion that exposure to hyperoxemia is associated with adverse outcomes in acutely ill adults with a range of diseases and raise the possibility that liberal provision of oxygen may cause harm. The aim of this review is to appraise recent evidence relating to the provision of supplemental oxygen to adult patients with acute illnesses with a focus on the resuscitation phase.

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