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Patient–oxygen dissociation curves: surveying the spectrum of oxygen‐delivery methods
Author(s) -
Attia John R,
Nair Balakrishnan R,
Mears Stephen R,
Hitchcock Karen I
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06521.x
Subject(s) - oxygen , oxygen therapy , medicine , insufflation , oxygen delivery , supplemental oxygen , anesthesia , audit , emergency medicine , intensive care medicine , chemistry , business , accounting , organic chemistry
Objective: To describe the spectrum of oxygen‐delivery methods. Design: Clinical audit. Setting: Medical wards of a tertiary referral teaching hospital in August 2004. Participants: 98 medical patients receiving supplemental oxygen. Results: Of the 98 patients, 40 were not receiving oxygen by customary methods. In classifying the patterns of oxygen delivery, we describe the transcephalic, submental, and (inadvertent) rectal approaches, as well as lachrymal insufflation and the “Venturi cravat”. We also describe novel oxygen‐weaning methods, including the half‐wean, reverse wean, and placebo wean. Conclusions: Many patients receive oxygen by unconventional methods. We postulate that this is evidence of a renewed interest in the historical routes of oxygen delivery.