What are hypoxaemia and hypoxia?
Hypoxaemia means a lower than normal level of oxygen in the blood (i.e. the PaO2 is too low). Hypoxia means there is not enough oxygen at tissue/cellular level. How does supplemental oxygen therapy affect treatment? Therapeutic interventions can be energetic for the patient, increasing their oxygen needs. The healthy body is able to cope with massive increases in energy expenditure because the heart and lungs are such efficient organs (Torrora and Grabowski, 1993). However, in illness this efficiency may be impaired, meaning that some patients may need supplemental oxygen therapy some or all of the time during their therapy session. It is important not to let the need for oxygen therapy restrict therapeutic intervention. By understanding oxygen therapy you will be able to identify when supplemental oxygen is required and modify the therapy session to accommodate the patients needs. How will I know who needs oxygen? If youre really not sure, the safest thing to do is ask! A patient who
