What is considered high-flow O2?

[Dustdevil]

At my last refresher, a firemonkey hooked up O[sub:bcdcb4b359]2[/sub:bcdcb4b359] to the seal inflation port of an EOA mask, thinking it was an oxygen inlet. Just about the time the instructor and I realised what he had done, it exploded like a firecracker.

[Chief1C]

Yanno those disposable O2 hoses w/ the threading that come w/ Ambu Spurs?

Had a full arrest w/ myself, and a half dozen firemen w/ no prior first aid training. I was blindly explaining how to hook the BVM to the cylinder, when I heard a loud hiss and a sharp POP. Looked over, and he had screwed this threaded hose onto the DISS port of the cylinder and it caused the reservoir bag on the BVM to pop.

[AnthonyM83]

I almost popped an NRB bag while filling on-scene. Got distracted by the patient's irregular breathing pattern, trying to recall what the pattern was called, while my finger was still over the bag-to-mask hole. Started making a high pitched sound that got me the attention of the 7 FFs, and two family members... "uhh, sorry".

[tniuqs]

:shock: Great question! I remember doing that experiment in RT school over twenty-five years ago, but I sure can't remember the exact number. Without Googling, I can narrow it down from memory to something between 40 to 60 percent. It fluctuated with variations in the rate and sqeeze tecnhique.

Dust, did they have BVMs back in those days? I thought that was called an Iron Lung?

[Dustdevil]

Actually, here's a photo from my RT class. That's me on the upper left.

This topic hits close to home for me, as I am sure it does for VentMedic and tniuqs. Too darn little is known by too darn many EMTs and medics when it comes to respiratory medicine. It's a disgrace that EMS gives so little education regarding the A and B of ABC.

When I get a student riding with me -- basic or medic -- and they are sitting around watching TV, playing games, reading a novel, or talking on their cellphone, I ask them a question about oxygen administration. I ask them something like how much oxygen they would give a chest pain patient in no respiratory distress. If their answer is reasonably correct, then I ask them what fIO[sub:7a57222bbc]2[/sub:7a57222bbc] range that device delivers at that flowrate. I have yet to ever have a student that could even venture a ballpark guess. That's when I tell them they obviously have much better things to be doing right now than watching television. If they don't take the hint, their instructor is going to be very unhappy with the evaluation he reads.

[Scaramedic]

Actually, here's a photo from my RT class. That's me on the upper left.

Is that Florence Nightingale in the middle of the pic?

[tniuqs]

AH HAA!

I knew it, one of those Bow Tie wearing renegades that chased the girls and made them cry.

for shame

[AnthonyM83]

I can see why you took the job...that looksies like good ratio to me.

Do you have recommendations on resources for reading about FiO2 rates and applying it to the field, because I really don't much on the topic at all.

[VentMedic]

This book will more than cover what is used in the field. The most important part is the BASICS. It will be a good reference book for any future healthcare classes. It is the Bible of Respiratory and required reading for all 1st year RT students. If they don't understand everything in that book, there's no need to go on for another 2 years of training.

There are basic oxygen principles, theories of flow and entrainment that are applied to all Oxygen equipment. If you've had some fire fighting priinciples, you'll see similarities in the basic theories.

Egans Fundamentals of Respiratory Care

http://www.amazon.com/Egans-Fundamentals-R...d/dp/0815127987

This is the latest addition. You can pick up older editions cheap at HalfPrice.com or Amazon. Your local college library may also have a copy.

[zzyzx]

I just found a used copy on Amazon for $15. Thanks for the tip, VentMedic.