Hoping to prevent someones exacerbation
I would simply like to alert all COPD patients on oxygen to please be aware that 88- 92% means just that. For years we have been shooting for the highest sat possible, not realizing that in doing so, there is a real risk
of hypercapnia, too much carbon dioxide. The doctors have said nothing, the oxygen people have said nothing, I am so angry. There should be a simple sticker on every oxygen machine. There are so many peo having
mortal ER visits and still they say nada. I am not trying to take the place of anyone's doctor. But we still would not know if we didn't happen to look it up. Look up hypercapnia, the symptoms etc. It could very well save your life .Especially if you are getting an oxygen saturation of over 92% . Waking up in the middle of the night with a diff personality, or disoriented. Waking up in the morning almost having to have an ambulance come out. Just research the dangers of too high oxygen saturation, please. Thanks.
You are correct. Several years ago I went to work on a Friday (Still smoking) and felt out of breath just standing there. I didn't even light up a smoke although I was a pack a day smoker, even my vco worker said to me you must be sick. So all day, I worked and stopped to catch my breath. That night, I went to a reunion party with my Wife and had to leave. By morning I felt like I was not myself. My wife called 911 and paramedics got there, administered 02. my pulse war 132, my oxygen saturation was 81%. I went straight into the ICU, and first on a Bipap, then on a ventilator for 5.5 days. That's when I officially became disabled, dependent on oxygen. But I've learned that I am a CO2 retainer, so I have learned to exhale deeper and to belly breathe. As your well aware, you can give someone 10 lpm of 02, but if their lungs cannot expel the CO2, it seriously can have dire consequences.
