Introduction
- Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen at a concentration greater than that found in the environmental atmosphere.
- At sea level, the concentration of oxygen in room air is 21%.
- The goal of oxygen therapy is to provide adequate transport of oxygen in the blood while decreasing the work of breathing and reducing stress on the myocardium.
- Oxygen transport to tissues depends on factors such as
- Cardiac output
- Arterial oxygen content
- Concentration of hemoglobin
- Metabolic requirements.
These factors must be kept in mind when oxygen therapy is considered.
Indications for Oxygen Therapy
- A change in the patient’s respiratory rate or pattern.
- These changes may result from hypoxemia or hypoxia.
- O2 is usually administered to treat hypoxemia caused by a variety of problems such as
- Respiratory disorders (e.g., COPD, pulmonary HPT, pneumonia, pulmonary emboli)
- Cardiovascular disorders (e.g., M.I, dysrhythmia, angina pectoris, and cardiogenic shock)
- Central nervous system disorders (e.g., overdose of opioids, head injury, sleep disorders [sleep apnea])
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