Oxygen Saturation as a diagnostic tool - Vital Signs Part 2

Vital Signs Part 2 - Pulse Ox and Oxygen Saturation
- Six Echo -

Vital signs are the diagnostic tools we use to assess a patient, determine the severity of an injury or disease process and also to track and trend a patients status to know if the treatments we are providing are working or not.

The vital sign we look at in the video is Pulse Oxygen Saturation or O2 sats (NOT stats). We use a pulse ox to measure the Sp02 in the blood at a point like the finger, toe or earlobe. This is reading tells us the percentage of red blood cells that are actually carrying oxygen around like they are supposed to. If we are getting and accurate reading and the percentage is low, then we need to start treatments based on the rest of our assessment.

Remember that just like all electronics and tools, the pulse oximeter can fail or give false data. Knowing the failure points of these tools and knowing HOW and WHEN to actually use these tools is a big part of being a good clinician or care provider. Remember to treat the PATIENT and not the MONITOR. If your patient is struggling to breathe but your monitor or diagnostic tools reads normal, you need to ignore the tool for a minute and treat the patient based on how they are presenting.

Have you used a pulse ox before? Have you based your treatment off of them? Have you had issues with the oximeters in the past? Leave us a comment and let us know!

SIX ECHO SYSTEMS

[SixEcho]

A pulse ox is a valuable tool but has its flaws. Have you had it give false readouts before?

[Firsir]

How has a video this good only got 519 views…..

This is easily one of the best medical channels on YT.

[martin]

Another great knowledge bomb from Six Echo, definitely worth following.

[rovelynlevantino]

Thank you so much for this. Very helpful❤

[ALLpurpose]

Great video I’m an emt and our company is broke so sometimes the pulse ox doesn’t work or the battery is dead. I was looking for ways to gauge saturation without one. I’ve always just done cap refill on fingertip skin tigor on top of hand and lung sounds/respirations but that’s all I could think of

[seratbushcraft]

I usually read 98 percent if it falls to 96 it meant I had a chest infection and could tell the doctors before any other symptoms showed. Currently showing 94 to 96 since recovering from COVID and pneumonia. do you have a link to long term oxygen use. I spent 12 years on oxygen cheers