SATs

OK my learned friends, I need some help, as i'm completly confused by this whole oxygen level thing:

I'll tell a little story - I've had asthma all my life, but it got less serious as a teenager, and only started coming back in the last couple of years.

4 months ago, i had an attack, and collapsed, thankfully at the doctor's surgery.. they put me on O2, and my sats at that point were 90. when i was discharged from A&E later, they were 98.

then last time i got bad (nearly 2 months ago now) my sats were 97, my ABG was 8.8, and they admitted me, and put me on O2 2L.. the sats were about the same next day when they sent me home..

and today when i did my lung function tests they were 97...

so what level is too low? when do people normally get given O2? I'm so confused... are all these numbers similar coz actually there is nothing wrong with my oxygen levels?

please help me, my brain is exploding!

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It varies from coasta to costa roughly under 92 or under and you will be on O2 although some will wait you are under 90 or under Anything from 95-100 is normal some costas will keep you on O2 or put you on at 94 especilly if you are working hard to breathe anyway. The 8.8 you refer to was that from an arterial blood gas, the one where they stick a needle and syringe into your wrist (hurts like hell) and what was that for, cos the ABGs measure a whole range of things from CO2 to Potasium levels iif I recall correctly the O2 saturation comes a %age the same SATs

Bex

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I've never gt this either! my local will put me on o2 if below 95, and maybe even if above if my heart rate's up (duh it would be on nebs/iv!) or resp rate and my air entry is poor. now i gotta say i thought it was rubbish but it can bring my hr down... but i'm nt sure if they're right to do it... anyone else had this?

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I think that getting hung up on figures is probably not a good thing. If you are working seriously hard to breathe and maintaining SATs then giving you some additional O2 can help lessen the effort in an attack the last thing you need is to overwork. Later when you are over the acute stage then the SATs will help them work out if you still need the O2 or not.

Bex