Pulse Ox/ Permission
- Thread starter OCEMTDOC
- Start date
To the OP, it sounds like you're raising two questions:
1. Can I carry my own pulse oximeter? Up to your employer, but I wouldn't think it would be a problem. It's not like those devices require daily calibration. I think you should be prepared to tell your employer why you want to do that, though.
2. How important is pulse oximetry? It's another tool to help you form prehospital impressions and/or to monitor the effects of treatment for some presenting problems. It's not a substitute for palpating a pulse or observing your patient's respiratory status. A pulse oximeter isn't going to tell you regularity or strength of a pulse, or the source or nature of respiratory distress. Think of it this way: If you were trying to decide whether to go to the beach today, would you make that decision based solely on temperature?
1. Can I carry my own pulse oximeter? Up to your employer, but I wouldn't think it would be a problem. It's not like those devices require daily calibration. I think you should be prepared to tell your employer why you want to do that, though.
2. How important is pulse oximetry? It's another tool to help you form prehospital impressions and/or to monitor the effects of treatment for some presenting problems. It's not a substitute for palpating a pulse or observing your patient's respiratory status. A pulse oximeter isn't going to tell you regularity or strength of a pulse, or the source or nature of respiratory distress. Think of it this way: If you were trying to decide whether to go to the beach today, would you make that decision based solely on temperature?
Bullets
Forum Knucklehead
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And yet one of my employers still doesnt carry them. But we have 2 Lucas devices....
I carry my own, i didnt ask for permission, i just started carrying it
sk8erboi9405
Forum Ride Along
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It depends on your county protocols. For example: LA County and ICEMA state that you cannot use a pulse ox. Idk the reasoning behind that. However, if your company already uses pulse oxes, and you just want to use your own. Good ahead. It's just as interchangeable as a stethoscope.
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Jim37F
Forum Deputy Chief
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Um...you can use pulse oximeters in LA County...
akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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I have mixed thoughts on an employee carrying their own equipment which is NOT provided by the service and unfortunately my concerns are more legal related than actual patient care related, so just offering a different perspective which may or may not be relevant.
Example: Company provides stethoscopes but you choose to use your own...this is acceptable.
Company does not provide pulse ox, however you buy and use your own. It is non-invasive, however it is a measurement in real time that has some relative value. Do you document it? If you do not document it, then why are you doing it? If you do document it, how does QA review allow this to go by?
What if said patient has a complaint or worsens and some slick lawyer has the ability to attribute all of this to the fact that a pulse ox was taken but the right action was not? I know this sounds silly and far reaching, however I am on the other side of the coin these days and have seen and had some first hand experience with some serious BS. It exists.
So should you have it on your own or should you just repeatedly file requests for your company to buy and provide them?
What good does buying and carrying this equipment do for you as a care provider? What risk does you buying and carrying this equipment pose to you and your employer? Does the benefit outweigh the risk?
Example: Company provides stethoscopes but you choose to use your own...this is acceptable.
Company does not provide pulse ox, however you buy and use your own. It is non-invasive, however it is a measurement in real time that has some relative value. Do you document it? If you do not document it, then why are you doing it? If you do document it, how does QA review allow this to go by?
What if said patient has a complaint or worsens and some slick lawyer has the ability to attribute all of this to the fact that a pulse ox was taken but the right action was not? I know this sounds silly and far reaching, however I am on the other side of the coin these days and have seen and had some first hand experience with some serious BS. It exists.
So should you have it on your own or should you just repeatedly file requests for your company to buy and provide them?
What good does buying and carrying this equipment do for you as a care provider? What risk does you buying and carrying this equipment pose to you and your employer? Does the benefit outweigh the risk?
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This.
Unfortunately, as backwards as it is, there may be some legal advantage in being able to say "I didn't know what the patient's Sp02 was".
Chris07
Competent in Incompetence
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They snuck it into the EMT Scope of Practice along with Aspirin for suspected cardiac chest pain about a year and a half ago. It was sort of a silent update.
...but does your company provide it? Most of our ambulances had them...but as time went on fewer and fewer do now. Since it's not required to carry it, it hasn't been getting replaced as they've gotten lost/broken/stolen. I actually sort of get excited if the unit I'm in has a pulse oximeter in it. If I was supreme dictator of the world it would be mandatory....then again...so would AEDs....but that's a whole different story.
Jim37F
Forum Deputy Chief
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Nope, but fire does so we get a saturation on scene, then one more at the hospital on their machine so no problemo....even at my last department that DID provide them in every rig I rarely felt the need to keep a BLS pt on continuous pulse ox monitoring....but does your company provide it? Most of our ambulances had them...but as time went on fewer and fewer do now. Since it's not required to carry it, it hasn't been getting replaced as they've gotten lost/broken/stolen. I actually sort of get excited if the unit I'm in has a pulse oximeter in it. If I was supreme dictator of the world it would be mandatory....then again...so would AEDs....but that's a whole different story.
Chris07
Competent in Incompetence
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It's always nice to have that extra tool to use to get a more complete picture of my patient (as much as BLS instruments allow). Honestly, I might only use it once during the first set of vitals, however, if someone is on O2 you should be monitoring SpO2 regularly (not necessarily continuously), assuming of course you have the ability to actually monitor it. Ideally I'd like to incorporate an SpO2 value into my decision to give O2 in the first place (barring cases of obvious hypoxia or respiratory failure/arrest), but it's not always available. If they truly warrant continuous SpO2, then they shouldn't be going BLS.
Alan L Serve
Forum Captain
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Scope of practice≠PCR. Scope of practice=state laws + medical director's protocols. If SpO2 isn't in your scope of practice then you are either violating state law or your medical director's protocols. Don't do that. When in doubt ask your clinical coordinator/EMS resource/medical director person.
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It's SoCal.... nothing surprises me anymore.