LifeguardsForLife

In the coming year I would like to learn to play piano, and get "back" in shape. I would like to continue learning about emergency medicine and hope everyone has a safe and happy new year(s)!

thank you vent and chbare for the information. Chbare-I apologize, that should of read carbon monoxide poisoning not carbon dioxide. If the affinity between carbon monoxide and hemoglobin is roughly 200 times that of oxygen and hemoglobin, i figured that, carbon monoxide poisoning would result in a higher Pao2 and lower Sao2. Which seemed to conradict the refrenced passage. I will go and review the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. I think the above statements answers the question i was attempting to ask.

In simplest terms the Pa02 is the amount of oxygent that is not bound to HB, but is in the plasma. The Sao2 is the percent of oxygen bound to the heme portion of hemoglobin. Why wouldn't Pao2 and Sa02 vary inversly? It seems to me that if a low Sao2 existed(due to a deficiency of Hb, or inability of oxygen to bind to the Hb), one would find a higer Pa02, as no oxygen molecules are being removed from the plasma? Would Co2 poisoning result in a low sa02, and a higher Pa02 as the heme bonding sites are occupied, thus preventing oxygen from bonding with hemeglobin? Several sources seem to use Sp02 and Sa02 interchangebly. Spo2 and Sa02, while similiar, should represent 2 entirely differnet values, correct? If a patient has an Sp02/Sa02 level within an acceptable range, would that indicate that the Pa02 is also satisfactory? Does the Ca02, simply combine the data gathered by the sa02 and the Pao2, in to a quantifiable amount? If Cao2 is calculated with the following amount, would it stand to reason that a patient could be found to have an adequate Sa02 or Pao2 and still "not be oxygneating properly"? CaO2 = Hb (gm/dl) x 1.34 ml O2/gm Hb x SaO2 + PaO2 x (.003 ml O2/mm Hg/dl). Thank you in advance, and I hope my questions were phrased in a way that made sense to those of you reading(I can't seem to disable the bold font, so that is why this is typed boldly)

Oxygen is inexpensive, easily obtainable, ad widely utilized as to impede and prevent the effects of hypoxia. Since it's discovery in the late 1700's oxygen has remained one of the most effective therapeutic agents known to the medical world. However, currnent literature suggests this medication is all too commonly administered at extremely high doses, causing hyperoxia. But oxygen is harmless right? Hyperoxia induces bradycardia and a reduction in cardiac output, which partly offsets the otherwise increased oxygen delivery. below are several different articles or studies regarding potentila risks of high flow oxygen. A publication in the October 2003 issue of Chest confirm that 100% oxygen can be harmful for asthmatics and support recommendations to use the minimum concentration required to maintain target O2 saturation. Retinopathy of prematurity Dr. Bledsoe on "the oxygen myth" -http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/columns/Bledsoe/the_oxygen_myth.html oh and, apparently concentrated oxygen is ineffective at harming or killing cancer cells(an interesting read) -http://www.cancer.org/docroot/eto/content/eto_5_3x_oxygen_therapy.asp hope this provides some insight for you.

Thank you all for your much valued responses. For any other members interested, I think the following article also answered some of the other questions I had regarding negative pressure ventilations. http://chestjournal..../2217.full.html

haha Kaisu, I had also posted this over at another forum, though figured I had a better chance of getting valuable information over here.

Do any of you have any experience with negative pressure ventilators? Are they still in use, and what would indicate their use over positive pressure ventilators?

'howdy FMA08, nice to see all these familiar faces over here in the city.

Hey, piranha, and welcome. I too recently joined here after a recent turn of events. Kaisu- are you sure, the forum i used to frequent didn't seem to support logic, reasoning or facts in defense of a statement

I have heard his seminars are very good, however there are non scheduled in my state. do you have ant experience with his book?

we recently had a family in the ER, who had been giving their 4 year old child Ativan in an attempt to modify her "psychotic behavior". The family denied any medications, or recent illness, and when informed their child "had failed a drug test", the grandfather claimed to be a M.D who had given her the drug this morning. they had denied the child being on any sort of medicine several times...

I have had positive experiences with Dale Dubin's Rapid EKG Interpretation, and would recommend it to anyone who is just beginning to learn EKG interpretation. below are some free sites you may wish to view: http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/ecg/ecg_outline/index.html http://www.ecglibrary.com/ecghome.html http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/pstc/backup/prandekg.htm http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/ecg/image_index/index.html