You call the on-call doctor who advises that you begin treatment with oxygen and repeat his observations after 30 minutes. At this point Archie is sweaty and restless and his observations are as below.
Q. Are Archie’s results normal? Select either normal or abnormal for each result below.
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These test results indicate that further action is needed. In cases of acute hypoxaemia, treatment should be started with nasal cannulae (or a simple face mask, if nasal cannulae are not tolerated or not effective) with the flow rate adjusted to achieve a saturation of 94–98% (British Thoracic Society guideline for oxygen use in healthcare and emergency settings, 2017).
Q. Are Archie’s results normal? Select either normal or abnormal for each result below.
Respiratory rate (RR): 24 beats per min – Abnormal – this is elevated. This is the patient working hard to try and maintain oxygen levels.
Heart rate (HR): 102 bpm, regular – Abnormal – this is elevated. This is in keeping with the other changes in RR, Temp and oxygen.
Temperature: 38˚C – Abnormal – this is also slightly elevated. Blood cultures should be taken.
Oxygen saturation: 93% (on 2 l of O2) – Abnormal – this still low, it is recommended that in patients who don’t have chronic respiratory compromise that SATS are maintained at a range of 94-98% (British Thoracic Society 2017), and titrate oxygen accordingly. Low SATS can cause harm by worsening brain damage and/or cause confusion.
Blood pressure (BP): 170/90 – Abnormal – this is slightly elevated – you should continue to monitor this hourly or more frequently, following your local protocol.
Page last reviewed: 07 Feb 2021
