Wait...a 79 SpO2..... and she’s arguing ICU? they treated at home, husband was below the redline of being able to process oxygen at all, and still with a dying husband she was reluctant to go to the hospital? And then chastizes them for what she should have been giving him way before he fell below 90 Sp02. She’s kidding, right?
there was Every reason for her husband to be in ICU. Acute hypoxia causes organ damage, strokes, heart attacks and full blown respiratory failure. Do not fool around with it. If I have a chance of stroking out, I would insist on being in ICU where all the cool doctors are.
The SpO2 can be used as a surrogate to approximate the pO2 as shown below:
SpO2
(percent) pO2
(mmHg)
86 51
87 52
88 54
89 56
90 58
91 60
92 64
93 68
94 73
95 80
96 90
The gold standard for the diagnosis of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure is an arterial pO2 on room air less than 60 mmHg measured by arterial blood gases (ABG). In the absence of an ABG, SpO2 less than 91% measured by pulse oximetry on room air can serve as a substitute for the pO2 because SpO2 of 91% equals pO2 of 60 mmHg.
https://www.pinsonandtang.com/acute-respiratory-failure-know/
at sea level, the normal PaO2/FiO2 ratio is ~ 400-500 mmHg (~55-65 kPa)
ARDS Severity
PaO2/FiO2 Mortality
Mild 200 – 300 27%
Moderate100 – 200 32%
Severe < 100 45%
https://litfl.com/pao2-fio2-ratio/
Are these covid pts not in danger of respiratory acidosis?
What does the rest of their ABG look like?
Drew and ran hundreds of them in the last decade, but have never seen covid ABG rexults.