Oxygen is a drug and should be prescribed with a target range. British Thoracic Society guidance sets 94 to 98% for most acutely ill adults and 88 to 92% for those at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure.
A written range lets nursing staff wean oxygen without waiting for a doctor, which reduces both hypoxaemia and unnecessary oxygen exposure.
- Use 88 to 92% for COPD with previous hypercapnia, obesity hypoventilation and neuromuscular disease.
- Check a blood gas if drowsiness or confusion develops on oxygen in an at-risk patient.
- Wean oxygen when saturation sits above the target range.
- Stop oxygen when the patient holds target on room air.
Why it matters
Without a written target, oxygen tends to be turned up and rarely turned down.
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