# Oxygenation & Ventilation



## Melclin (Aug 17, 2010)

I've been known, on this forum, to pontificate on the topic of the relationship and difference between, oxygenation and ventilation. But now I need your help. 

I'm teaching my little troop of volunteer first responders from scratch instead of relying on the standardized (and confusing, uninformative and essentially useless) teaching resources provided by the organisation. 

We teach first aid & CPR in the community and provide event first aid and first response. In no way do we usurp the need or role of the statewide, professional, all ALS ambulance service.

I want to teach the difference between Oxygenation and Ventilation in order for my students to know when they need supplemental O2 and when they need to vent with the BVM. I also want to stop them from disregarding people who are tachypneic as just being anxious, especially because the organisation dangerously teaches that people who are "hyperventilating" are just anxious and in fact, it is one of the contraindications of O2.

*I need help in putting the idea of O vs V to people who have ~2 hours of A&P (taught by me and with a focus on the A&P they need to know to understand the issue) in terms of simple analogies and/or ways of explaining the issue. Any teaching resources EMS also appreciated.*


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## MrBrown (Aug 17, 2010)

Its like putting gas in the car, doesn't mean it will reach the engine and be combusted or like everybody showing up at the airport for an oversold flight, doesn't mean everybody will get on the plane.


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## MasterIntubator (Aug 17, 2010)

Being first responders, I would most likely leave out all the contraindications for oxygen therapy.  As they are not adequately trained to differentiate between anxiety induced hyperventilation some other potential cause of hyperventilation.  With those responders, oxygen should be administered to anyone who is having trouble breathing ( both physical needs and mental needs ), that way there will be no guessing at it.  The short time someone will be on O2 waiting for medics to arrive will not hurt a bit.

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Maybe this will help a little or stimulate another thought for you:

Oxygenation is getting the oxygen into the body ( or at least the nose and mouth ).  Ventilation is the mechanical ( or action ) that takes the oxygen and ( hopefully ) makes it effective by going into the lungs and ( hopefully ) go across the air-sacs ( alveoli ) to the blood and then to rest of the body.

When the person can not Ventilate themselves in order to the the oxygen into thier body, they need to be helped by the ambu bag/BVM/Mouth to mask/etc.  

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 Heck, you can even go off on a tangent with the diaphragm and its action in self-ventilation.


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## Melclin (Aug 17, 2010)

MrBrown said:


> Its like putting gas in the car, doesn't mean it will reach the engine and be combusted or like everybody showing up at the airport for an oversold flight, doesn't mean everybody will get on the plane.



Hmm, nice. I like those.



MasterIntubator said:


> Being first responders, I would most likely leave out all the contraindications for oxygen therapy.  As they are not adequately trained to differentiate between anxiety induced hyperventilation some other potential cause of hyperventilation.  With those responders, oxygen should be administered to anyone who is having trouble breathing ( both physical needs and mental needs ), that way there will be no guessing at it.  The short time someone will be on O2 waiting for medics to arrive will not hurt a bit.
> 
> -------------------------
> Maybe this will help a little or stimulate another thought for you:
> ...



They're not my contraindications. They're the organisation's and oxygen therapy to anyone who is having trouble breathing is what I want to do. The thing is in event first aid, oxygen is rarely used. Its a big step to break out the O2, so rather than the normal problem in American EMS of using it being the default position, I need to teach these guys when to escalate to O2 therapy, and how to reconcile the what the organisation makes me teach, with what I feel they should be being taught...* so I need tips, from experienced educators for analogies to get the point across quickly.  *

Mechanical vs Oxygen transfer is definitely the way I'm going. Its more that I need some good diagrams/analogies/resources.


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## MrBrown (Aug 18, 2010)

I know you know we both know the context of praxis you speak of mate (wow that was confusing, let me sit down quick before I black out .....) but Brown reckons you can keep it pretty simple.

If the patient look short of breath, hard time breating, accessory muscle use, cyanosis, marked indrawing, crappy breath sounds/pitch/stridor, ALOC etc.... they they get oxygen.


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## MasterIntubator (Aug 19, 2010)

Seems like you are pretty smart.... I think you'll do fine.


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## Melclin (Aug 22, 2010)

Cheers mate. 

I reckon I've build a decent curriculum, so fingers crossed. 

Depending on peoples familiarity with the workings of a car, I think I'll use your fuel/engine analogy, Brown.


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## MrBrown (Aug 22, 2010)

Brown would be interested in reviewing what you have written.

... not now tho, the transfer of neurons across the synapse in Brown's brain has been greatly impaired by the vast consumption of ginga ale and Indian whisky with his room mate.


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## Melclin (Aug 24, 2010)

Yeah no worries mate. I'll tell you about it next time I talk to you.


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