Last night, i was experiencing terrible breathing outside with my kids. I also had the beginning of a cold. After a lot of treatments, i called 911. During the ambulance ride to the ER, my oxygen was 99% but i was complaining my breath out was absolutely ROUGH and it was causing me to feel like i wasnt getting fully oxygenated. So, they wanted to measure my co2 output so they put an oxygen cannula with a lip tab thingy to measure that. I swore the paramedic said to another trainee paramedic, “ i believe she’s not properly getting air out bec her number is at the low end of normal at 23. Usually we see 20-45”. Im confused bec ive researched normal ETCO2 levels and if it was lower at 23 that would mean im hyperventilating and not indicate im retaining co2. Correct? Anyway, i was struggling so i could of heard wrong.
it kind of bothers me they don’t just test COPD patients and irreversible asthmatics with a Co2 test instead of ONLY oxygen. Why don’t they? Seemed like a simple test. Every dang time i go to the ER if my o2 stats are higher than 94 they are like “why ya here, hunny, youre getting oxygen”. And i feel very dismissed. As many do.
Thanks for your help. Take care