# NREMT oxygen therapy



## dang88 (Jul 17, 2014)

I read a question while studying for the NREMT B. A chest pain patient is short of breath breathing at a rate of 16, BP is fine Pulse is 56 and irregular skin is cool clammy. The correct answer was give this patient oxygen 4LPM via nasal cannula. I was asking if this is correct because my brady book states that chest pain victims need a higher concentration of oxygen.


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## WildlandEMT89 (Jul 17, 2014)

dang88 said:


> I read a question while studying for the NREMT B. A chest pain patient is short of breath breathing at a rate of 16, BP is fine Pulse is 56 and irregular skin is cool clammy. The correct answer was give this patient oxygen 4LPM via nasal cannula. I was asking if this is correct because my brady book states that chest pain victims need a higher concentration of oxygen.



RR is within 12-20 but pt. has a chief complaint of chest pain and SOB so a cannula seems right to me as a place to start, if pt doesn't seem to get any relief from the cannula or they deteriorate you can always move onto a NRB down the road.


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## Akulahawk (Jul 17, 2014)

dang88 said:


> I read a question while studying for the NREMT B. A chest pain patient is short of breath breathing at a rate of 16, BP is fine Pulse is 56 and irregular skin is cool clammy. *The correct answer was give this patient oxygen 4LPM via nasal cannula.* I was asking if this is correct because my brady book states that chest pain victims need a higher concentration of oxygen.


Most textbooks are a few YEARS behind in content vs, well, anything else. Resolve the shortness of breath and you might just resolve some anxiety and that can help with the cool/clammy skin. I don't see anything that shows this patient needs more oxygen than that, so 4 LPM/NC is the way to start.


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## dang88 (Jul 17, 2014)

Thank you both. Any idea where I can get some of this updated content for the nremt? I've looked up the NHSTA which was little help


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## WildlandEMT89 (Jul 18, 2014)

dang88 said:


> Thank you both. Any idea where I can get some of this updated content for the nremt? I've looked up the NHSTA which was little help


All textbooks I've seen run at least a couple years behind, the best way I know of to get updated info is to do what you did and ask questions, and then follow up on the answers you get. 
You're stepping into a career of learning here and you're off to a good start by questioning class material.
Good luck on the course bud.


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## NPO (Jul 30, 2014)

WildlandEMT89 said:


> RR is within 12-20 but pt. has a chief complaint of chest pain and SOB so a cannula seems right to me as a place to start, if pt doesn't seem to get any relief from the cannula or they deteriorate you can always move onto a NRB down the road.


I think this hits it dead on. NREMT loves answers like this. The correct test answer may be 4lpm but the whole answer is start at 4lpm if no relief increase to 15lpm, or something like that. They love to do stuff like that.


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## Handsome Robb (Jul 30, 2014)

It's been a long time but doesn't the NREMT teach pulse oximetry and titration of O2 in the EMT curriculum now? With proper clinical correlation of course. 

AHA guidelines dictate titrating SpO2 to greater than or equal to 94% in suspected ACS patients.


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## NPO (Jul 30, 2014)

Handsome Robb said:


> It's been a long time but doesn't the NREMT teach pulse oximetry and titration of O2 in the EMT curriculum now? With proper clinical correlation of course.
> 
> AHA guidelines dictate titrating SpO2 to greater than or equal to 94% in suspected ACS patients.


Yes. I noticed in last semesters class but believe it changed a year or so ago.


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## lissa304 (Aug 1, 2014)

dang88 said:


> Thank you both. Any idea where I can get some of this updated content for the nremt? I've looked up the NHSTA which was little help



You just got to do some searching around. I eventually found it!


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