59YOM - OD, Suicide attempt

[lightsandsirens5]

I know it has been a few days, but would getting an ETCo2 help anything? Apparenly we trust the SPO2 in this case, as it seems to be correct, but with cold hands and a presentation that does not exactly say "This bugger has an SPO2 of 70." would the ETCo2 be of any use?

I am just trying to think outside the box. My ILS instructor seemed to be having a love affair with his ETCo2 machine, but seeing as how it isn't part of the ILS scope in my county, we were not taught much about it.

 

[usalsfyre]

I know it has been a few days, but would getting an ETCo2 help anything? Apparenly we trust the SPO2 in this case, as it seems to be correct, but with cold hands and a presentation that does not exactly say "This bugger has an SPO2 of 70." would the ETCo2 be of any use?

I am just trying to think outside the box. My ILS instructor seemed to be having a love affair with his ETCo2 machine, but seeing as how it isn't part of the ILS scope in my county, we were not taught much about it.

Useful, perhaps. Earth shattering? Probably not really. Many in EMS don't particularly understand the oxygenation vs ventilation relationship, or for that matter the fact that ETCO2 is not 100% reflective of PaCO2. It's entirely possible to have a "relatively normal" ETCO2 and still be profoundly hypoxemic and/or experiencing a severe respiratory acidosis.

Your best bet with a variable patient presentation and mixed information is treat the apparent hypoxia. I'm not an "O2 for everyone" advocate but hypoxia kills quickly, hyperoxygenation does damage much more slowly in most cases.

 

[Hunter]

I know it has been a few days, but would getting an ETCo2 help anything? Apparenly we trust the SPO2 in this case, as it seems to be correct, but with cold hands and a presentation that does not exactly say "This bugger has an SPO2 of 70." would the ETCo2 be of any use?

I am just trying to think outside the box. My ILS instructor seemed to be having a love affair with his ETCo2 machine, but seeing as how it isn't part of the ILS scope in my county, we were not taught much about it.

I think this is a really good point, but in this case even without the SaO2 this guys respirations seemed pretty bad. I do think with the hypothermia SaO2 would probably be useless...