Oxygen treatment in acutely ill patients

Medical directives keep changing and this new rec. which is discussed in BMJ is certainly one which causes raised eyebrows…

New guidelines recommend that acutely ill patients requiring supplemental oxygen therapy
maintain peripheral capillary oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) of 96% or less (strong recommendation).
Higher levels have been linked to elevated mortality risk.

The guidelines, written by an expert panel and published in The BMJ, note that the ideal upper limit may be closer to 94%.

Among the recommendations for patients with acute stroke or myocardial infarction:

• The panel suggests not starting oxygen when SpO2 is between 90% and 92%, as it may not be beneficial (weak recommendation).
• Supplemental oxygen shouldn’t be started at or above 93% saturation (strong recommendation).
• The panel writes that there are “probably no benefits to initiating oxygen therapy when SpO2 is >92%, and it may cause harm.”

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