Quick O2 Question!

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gsxr150

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Patient has a knife in the uppper chest with a good airway, and breathing rapid but shallow.

Would you first apply a non-rebreather, or BVM the patient?

Thoughts?
 
gsxr150 said:
Patient has a knife in the uppper chest with a good airway, and breathing rapid but shallow.

Would you first apply a non-rebreather, or BVM the patient?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Why would you use a BVM on a pt who is breathing fine on his own? If he's moving air on his own, let him continue. I'd watch him like a hawk for a change in that condition but I wouldn't intervene until the interventions are necessary.
 
My thoughts exactly! In a perfect world his shallow and and rapid breathing would slow with application of 02. I suppose the rapid and slow is a direct cause of the knife in the chest and/or lung.
 
Let him keep breathing on his own, apply occlusive dressing around the knife if possible and stabilize it.
 
First Responder 101:

When do you start breathing for them?

When they can't breath adequately on their own. What is his SpO2 and is he moving enough air with a non-rebreather to keep his brain an other organs alive?
 
BossyCow said:
Why would you use a BVM on a pt who is breathing fine on his own? If he's moving air on his own, let him continue. I'd watch him like a hawk for a change in that condition but I wouldn't intervene until the interventions are necessary.
Click to expand...

There is a difference between ventilation and oxygenation. Just because one has ventilatory movement does not always enough tidal volume. Again, the OP was he has a good airway, this does not mean he has good air exchange.

It all depends upon the rate, tidal volume, and assessment of my patient in which I would use. Of sealing off the wound, would be assumed.

R/r 911
 
NREMT says bag, realistically, assess the patient, how are the skins? How is their O2Sat if they have one? BIG BIG BIG, look for cyanosis! If they're cyanotic go to BVM, but obviously, if they aren't cyanotic by the time you get their, they're probably moving enough air. So throw em on an NRB and MONITOR THEM. If they start to look like they aren't moving air, try to combitube and then BVM.
 
Thanks guys, I can't give all the details of the question, but the correct answer was supp o2 via non-rebreather. I was just a curious on others input. If I could post the entire quesiton I think everyone would agree it was non-rebreather even with the shallow and rapid breathing.
 
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