OT ? for the nurses

[doydie]

You know how MS seems to have removed some of your memory, well I think some of those are nursing brain cells. So I have a question for you. My mother in law has COPD and smoked for a long time She stopped earlier this year when she had a severe bout of pneumonia. Oh, she also has chronic asthmatic bronchitis. So she is doing some pretty bad abdominal breathing and wheezing again but when the staff at the nursing home do a pulse ox, it is 95. So now to my question. What is it about the COPDers that can give a false high pulse ox. Thanks

[Cherie]

I've noticed over the years how amazingly our bodies can adapt to even the worst kinds of deprivations (oxygen, food, water) and can still "look" fairly unimpaired. I suspect that is what is going on with her with the high pulse OX.

[Chris]

So she is doing some pretty bad abdominal breathing and wheezing again but when the staff at the nursing home do a pulse ox, it is 95. So now to my question. What is it about the COPDers that can give a false high pulse ox. Thanks

Sometimes the equipment isn't up to snuff. There are very new and modern pulse oxymitry monitors in hospital, however I suspect in US Nursing Homes they are somewhat outdated.

Is your Mum on Oxygen by Nasal Canula? That would have an effect on her readings as well.