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Ongoing (home) supplemental O2 is really only recommended for saturations of 88% or less, and this is also the requirement that must be met in order to qualify for most home O2 coverage. So if you aren't going to discharge a patient who is at 90% without first arranging for home O2 then they will never be able to leave the hospital.
My facility's O2 protocol reads "O2 to maintain sats >90%". Do you see any potential liability in discharging a patient home (in this case nrsg home) while right at 90% while on room air? Several of my cohorts think O2 need only be applied if the pt drops below 90%.
I can't speak to the liability issue, but if your facility's protocol is for "O2 to maintain sats >90%," then that means that oxygen is applied when sats are 90% or less. Of course, it's reasonable to attempt other interventions as well - reposition, instruct to deep breathe and cough, etc. to see if sats can be brought up without supplemental oxygen.
As another poster mentioned, qualifying for home O2 is a different animal than following an oxygen protocol for an admitted resident/patient.
man23SN
15 Posts
My facility's O2 protocol reads "O2 to maintain sats >90%". Do you see any potential liability in discharging a patient home (in this case nrsg home) while right at 90% while on room air? Several of my cohorts think O2 need only be applied if the pt drops below 90%.