Overview
Oxygenation Failure: the Clinical Pattern
Oxygenation failure means that oxygen is not moving adequately from the alveoli into arterial blood.
CNPLE
CNPLE
Oxygenation failure means that oxygen is not moving adequately from the alveoli into arterial blood. A low pulse-ox reading is one clue, not the whole diagnosis. The nurse or NP must decide whether the patient has hypoxemic failure, ventilatory failure, or both; support breathing immediately; identify the cause; and judge the response after each intervention. The safe goal is adequate, controlled oxygenation rather than a saturation of 100% for every patient. Device choice, target SpO2, arterial blood-gas results, work of breathing, mental status, and the direction of change determine whether support can remain at the current level or must escalate.
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