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Breathlessness - Management
How should I manage someone with chronic breathlessness waiting for emergency admission?
- Sit the person up.
- If the person has an oxygen saturation of less than 92%, give oxygen and continuously monitor their oxygen saturation levels while waiting for transfer to hospital.
- ONLY USE A 28% VENTURI MASK AT 4 L/MIN FOR PEOPLE WITH SUSPECTED CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD), morbid obesity, a chest wall deformity, or a neuromuscular disorder. This is because they are at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure.
- For other people who are acutely ill, use a simple face mask. Adjust the flow rate to 5–10 L/min to achieve a target oxygen saturation of 94–98%.
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