Detection and monitoring of hypoxemia and oxygen therapy.
Many techniques are available to evaluate oxygenation. These include arterial blood gases, capillary blood gases, point-of-care testing, blood gas monitors, pulse oximetery, transcutaneous blood gases, mixed venous blood gases, venous oximetry, and gastric tonometry. Clinicians should understand not only the benefits, but also the limitations of these techniques. Monitoring of oxygenation should not be done just because it is technically feasible. The decision to monitor, like any other clinical decision, should be based on therapeutic objectives.
Hess
D
D
Respiratory Care Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA. dhess@partners.org
D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems