49 / 74
47
The sequence of actions for pain in the chest.
1. To inform the doctor.
2. Give the patient a «forced» position (put on the sick side) and advice to
breathe superficially, shallow, delay cough.
3. By the doctor appointment to give analgesics and antitussive drugs.
4. Distracting procedures: the cupping glasses, mustard plaster, iodine mesh
on the chest.
Pulse oximetry
is a non-invasive method for measuring the percentage of
oxyhemoglobin in arterial blood (SpO
2
). In clinical practice, it is proposed to
use the terms «saturation of arterial blood with oxygen» or «oxygenation of
arterial blood», and the parameter SpO
2
to call «saturation». Normally SpO
2
is
98–99%.
Oxygenotherapy
is the usage of oxygen for therapeutic purposes, it is
prescribed at SpO
2
94% or less:
• respiratory failure in respiratory diseases, blood diseases, carbon monox-
ide poisoning, etc.
• hypoxia due to circulatory disorders in cardiovascular diseases (circulatory
hypoxia).
• the drop of oxygen concentration in the ambient gas (for example, the low-
er barometric pressure at high altitudes).
Methods of oxygen application.
1. Inhalation – through the respiratory tract.
2. Non-inhalation-bypassing the respiratory tract
Inhalation method
is the most common method of artificial oxygen therapy.
The principles of oxygen supply: oxygen should be warm and moistened;
intermittent (flow 15 minutes break 15 minutes); under pressure of 2 ATM. Pure
oxygen is not used because it depresses the breath center, and can also cause
burning and irritation of the respiratory ways. The most safe and effective is
oxygen-air mixture, with the oxygen concentration of 40–60%. Usually, for
oxygen therapy oxygen from cylinders in which it is stored in a compressed
state is used, or from the system of centralized oxygen supply to hospital wards.
Before the supply of oxygen to the patient it is necessary to moisten it.
Methods of oxygen humidification.
1. Passing through water. The method is not very effective. Large gas bubbles
do not have time to collect enough water and its temperature drops slightly. It is
necessary to heat the humidifier and the use of small-sized sprayer.