Smoking while on O2-bad idea

Nurses General Nursing

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Tweety, BSN, RN

34,248 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Equally as Absurd is a Neighbor of mine who has COPD and uses an Albuterol Inhaler(aka the Puffer) many times I hear him coughing in his garage only to go over and see if he is still alive and witness him take two-three hits off the Puffer and then Light up a Cigerette! :rolleyes:

There's a women in my bowling league, who has her inhaler inside her pack of cigarettes.

Cubby

305 Posts

Yeah, you would think anyone would know that this is a BAD practice. However, my mother who was an LPN for over 40 years smoked while she was on O2. She did not blow up-though we were all concerned she would-just died in her recliner, with the O2 on and her ever present cigarette no where to be seen. She never would listen to us though. Oh well.

Daytonite, BSN, RN

1 Article; 14,603 Posts

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

It's sad that the desire for a cigarette over rides a person's personal safety. When I was a IV Therapist the hospital had a patient who was confused, on oxygen and a smoker. This was in a V.A. hospital and at the time smoking was permitted. However, the nurses had taken his cigarettes away for real obvious reasons. Somehow he had gotten his hands on a pack and hidden it. He lit up and the flame from the cigarette lighter just ignited the oxygen coming out of the nasal cannula. He was very lucky that a couple of nurses happened to be walking by his room at the time, rushed in and smothered the flames or the fire would have continued because it was getting a continuous feed of the oxygen. He sustained second degree burns around his lip and nose.

I don't think these patients have a death wish, but are just arrogant and think they are invincible. The thing about nursing is that we learn over our careers that no one is invincible.

ricosdy

5 Posts

I am working here in Columbus. GA and we have a frequent flyer who is always at O2 or at time a non rebreather bad that would continue to smoke, he would remove it but we, the floor nurses, feel that he is endangering everybodys life, the Director of our floor knows about it and does not do anything, is there anything we can do, I know one hospital in MS they woudl call the fire marshall and if the patient is caught again, then the patient is out of the hosptial, any thoughts?

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