Final answer:
The reference does not specify the exact number of hours of supplemental oxygen use to improve mortality rates for COPD. Long-term oxygen therapy over 15 hours per day is known to increase survival for those with severe, resting hypoxemia. Oxygen therapy is essential in managing both COPD and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The administration of supplemental oxygen has been shown to improve mortality associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The exact number of hours per day that supplemental oxygen should be used to improve mortality rates is not specified in the provided reference material. However, it is widely accepted that for patients with severe, resting hypoxemia (low blood oxygen), long-term oxygen therapy for more than 15 hours per day can improve survival. Supplemental oxygen helps alleviate the symptoms and can slow the progression of COPD by maintaining adequate oxygen levels in the blood, preventing hypoxemia, and decreasing the workload on the heart.
Prolonged exposure to substances like carbon monoxide, which reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen, can lead to COPD. In the context of carbon monoxide poisoning, administering 100 percent oxygen significantly reduces the half-life of carbon monoxide in the blood, thereby enhancing the treatment and recovery process. Oxygen therapy is an integral part of managing COPD and carbon monoxide poisoning, improving patients' health, and in the case of COPD, potentially extending life expectancy.