Recommendation of oxygen therapy must include clear indication and benefits of its use, appropriate prescription, vigilant monitoring and appropriate methods of delivery. Home oxygen therapy is expensive, inconvenient and cumbersome; it should be recommended only if benefits outweigh the disadvantages and adverse effects of oxygen. GPs play an important supportive and supervisory role in the use of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) to improve mortality of patients with chronic hypoxaemia. Prescription of short burst oxygen therapy (SBOT) for palliation of breathlessness is without clear evidence of its efficacy. GPs can prescribe SBOT when other secondary causes of breathlessness are excluded or treated, when breathlessness is not relieved by other treatments and if an improvement can be documented in patients.
Oxygen Therapy Care ; Role ; benefits ; seconds ; General Practitioners

Introduction: Prediabetes, typically defined as blood glucose levels above normal but below diabetes thresholds, denotes a risk state that confers a high chance of developing diabetes. Asians, particularly the Southeast Asian population, may have a higher genetic predisposition to diabetes and increased exposure to environmental and social risk factors. Malaysia alone was home to 3.4 million people with diabetes in 2017; the figure is estimated to reach 6.1 million by 2045. Developing strategies for early interventions to treat prediabetes and preventing the development of overt diabetes and subsequent cardiovascular and microvascular complications are therefore important. Methods: An expert panel comprising regional experts was convened in Kuala Lumpur, for a one-day meeting, to develop a document on prediabetes management in Malaysia. The expert panel comprised renowned subject-matter experts and specialists in diabetes and endocrinology, primary-care physicians, as well as academicians with relevant expertise. Results: Fifteen key clinical statements were proposed. The expert panel reached agreements on several important issues related to the management of prediabetes providing recommendations on the screening, diagnosis, lifestyle and pharmacological management of prediabetes. The expert panel also proposed changes in forthcoming clinical practice guidelines and suggested that the government should advocate early screening, detection, and intensive management of prediabetes. Conclusion: This document provides a comprehensive approach to the management of prediabetes in Malaysia in their daily activities and offer help in improving government policies and the decision-making process.