Were doctors doing arterial blood gases to determine whether or not a patient would go on a vent or not?
I like your point AMD even though I’m a complete neophyte when it comes to this stuff.
I was in the hospital for two months, 5 weeks on a vent. I was always attached to a pulse oximeter sensor on my finger. They put me on the vent when I couldn't keep my levels above 89% on high flow oxygen by the finger measurement (and I've since discovered my readings vary by which finger I'm using. I think it was pretty rare that they looked at my blood gas levels, i.e., only if they were taking blood for something else.
I think it has a lot to do with circulation. I think a fair number of people have less than optimal circulation in their extremities. In cold weather, your body keeps most of your blood closer to your core.
Michelle thanks for sharing your story. Am really sorry you went through all that. I’d read somewhere from someone 🫣🤪🥸that while the pulse sensor would measure O2 from fingers that this wasn’t truly representative of true O2 starvation or low arterial blood gas levels. That many people had had really low readings but some docs didn’t take that as an absolute and worked with other treatments to resolve the infection instead and when that resolved their breathing got better. I’m so out of my depth here, but it’s like how they were using the dialings on the PCR to get the results they “needed “....like finger sensors vs blood gases to sound official but in fact seemed to have kept their narrative going.
But Brava Michelle! 5 weeks on a vent sounds brutal-tells me how fundamentally strong and resilient you are! 💪🔥🙏🏻❤️
Thank you for your kind words Mads. It showed me how graciously God answers prayer. I had quite a few people praying for me, even a few I've never even met. It's really humbling in a good way to think about that many people praying for me. I do think you are onto something with using the measurement tools that give them the results to support their narrative.
Were doctors doing arterial blood gases to determine whether or not a patient would go on a vent or not?
I like your point AMD even though I’m a complete neophyte when it comes to this stuff.
I was in the hospital for two months, 5 weeks on a vent. I was always attached to a pulse oximeter sensor on my finger. They put me on the vent when I couldn't keep my levels above 89% on high flow oxygen by the finger measurement (and I've since discovered my readings vary by which finger I'm using. I think it was pretty rare that they looked at my blood gas levels, i.e., only if they were taking blood for something else.
Few know fingers seem to matter. Don't know why.
I think it has a lot to do with circulation. I think a fair number of people have less than optimal circulation in their extremities. In cold weather, your body keeps most of your blood closer to your core.
Michelle thanks for sharing your story. Am really sorry you went through all that. I’d read somewhere from someone 🫣🤪🥸that while the pulse sensor would measure O2 from fingers that this wasn’t truly representative of true O2 starvation or low arterial blood gas levels. That many people had had really low readings but some docs didn’t take that as an absolute and worked with other treatments to resolve the infection instead and when that resolved their breathing got better. I’m so out of my depth here, but it’s like how they were using the dialings on the PCR to get the results they “needed “....like finger sensors vs blood gases to sound official but in fact seemed to have kept their narrative going.
But Brava Michelle! 5 weeks on a vent sounds brutal-tells me how fundamentally strong and resilient you are! 💪🔥🙏🏻❤️
Thank you for your kind words Mads. It showed me how graciously God answers prayer. I had quite a few people praying for me, even a few I've never even met. It's really humbling in a good way to think about that many people praying for me. I do think you are onto something with using the measurement tools that give them the results to support their narrative.
💪🔥🙏🏻🌹