Oxygen. . . Can that drug by itself save lives?

[Stretchermonkey]

The important thing about the flow rate of O2 with regard a NRB mask, is to make sure it is set to a bit more than the Pt is shifting themselves. So long as the flow rate is sufficent to keep the bag inflated, the Pt will always be breathing predominately what is in the bag.........oxygen.

If one increases the flow rate too much, oxygen then gets wasted and leaks into the outside environment. Now if that is the back of my ambulance, I find myself in a very hazardous position when I go to light my cigarette to smoke while I'm doing the paperwork on the way in.....lol

[1EMT-P]

Yes!

[Oilersfan1]

Just like anything it has it purpose.

Cheers :occasion5:

[allison20]

I'll just repeat what was said in EMT class, O2, give it early and give alot.

But as a basic, this is the best medicine we carry. Also, it can't hurt to give it to the patient.

[etfink]

I'll just repeat what was said in EMT class, O2, give it early and give alot.

But as a basic, this is the best medicine we carry. Also, it can't hurt to give it to the patient.

Please don't take offense because I don't mean any. That is what we were all told in EMT school and I always thought it was crap. We are giving a drug. If we ever want to elevate our profession we can not stand for answers like this. Go out research learn a little A&P, or ge content to be a Gurney Tech/Driver.

[hfdff422]

The problem is some people are content to be stretcher fetchers.

[whit72]

asysn2leads wrote:

All right, someone hand me my cane to shake at the whippersnappers and help me up onto my soap box, ahem...

One of these days kids, one of these days, you'll realize that medicine, and by extension EMS, is not about saving lives, but about helping others. Oxygen doesn't save a life. It may in the long term prevent someone from dying, but then again, you could say the same thing about oh, drinking water or such. Isn't it enough just to make someone feel better? I mean, today, I didn't do a single lick of emergency medical care. No IV's, no defibrillations, no medications or daring high rise rescues, I didn't treat a single sick person today. But what I did get out of today was a nice quick chat and a hug and a little kiss from a lonely sweet elderly lady who accidently set off her medic alert while napping, just because I made her feel good by showing up to make sure she was ok. So, ummmm, there. Do your job, qive them the oxygen, and stop worrying about it. With liberty and justice for all, amen, God save the Queen.

AMEN

[Thunderchild145]

From what I've seen, oxygen at the very least makes the patient feel like something is being done to help them. It doesn't sound like a bad idea as a medic that if you don't know what to do, have your partner put them on oxygen so they don't see you sweat while you deliberate your options =D

I've really only heard of one example where oxygen is harmful to patients, and even then it's not really harmful. That's in COPD patients who are running on hypoxic drive (and only about 33% of patients with COPD actually function on hypoxic drive. The rest still run on hypercarbic drive like the rest of us.) Anyway these people slowly stop breathing. (Note:Slowly) So what, if they do stop breathing, bag them. This really isn't a big deal. If anyone else has heard of a situation where oxygen is detrimental to the patient, I'd love to hear about it.

Really, if it's not hurting, and it might help, why not administer it? Now there's no reason to go gung ho and blast them with 15 liters via NRB every patient every case. Overloading someone with oxygen can cause vasocontriction, and for some people thats an un-good thing. Titrate to pulse ox and that kind of stuff. Good rule of thumb is that for every liter you administer by nasal canula it increases inhaled oxygen (FiO2) by 4% (Room air is 21% oxygen. You do the math)

Anyway, can oxygen by itself save a life? No. Probably not. By "save a life" I typically think someone who is really, really bad. (Real bad asthma, real bad truama, anaphylaxis, status seizures.) Oxygen alone will not miraculously cure thier ailments. But for someone having trouble breathing (Your average COPDer for example) if you can convince them that the mask is -not- smothering them and is in fact helping them, oxygen will do a lot of good to calm them down and prevent and reverse hypoxia.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[dahlio]

[JPINFV]

I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's more like 21.45 percent.

I'm sure the smog makes it lower then that. I say 21.4 %...