Final answer:
The oxygen delivery device expected for a critical care patient supposed to be on 50% oxygen at 8 L/min is a venturi mask. 100% oxygen administration is crucial for carbon monoxide poisoning cases to displace carbon monoxide from hemoglobin because oxygen has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than carbon monoxide. Pulse oximeters are used to monitor oxygen saturation in the blood, an essential value in such treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a critical care patient is supposed to be on 50% oxygen at 8 L/min, the expected oxygen delivery device in place when you pick them up would likely be a venturi mask. A venturi mask is capable of delivering a precise amount of oxygen and can provide a specific oxygen concentration such as the required 50%. This device utilizes different sized adaptors to allow a specific percentage of oxygen to be delivered and is often used in the critical care transport setting where exact oxygen delivery is necessary.
Regarding the question on how the administration of 100 percent oxygen saves a patient from carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen has a greater affinity for hemoglobin than carbon monoxide, and thus, providing a high concentration of oxygen helps to displace carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin, allowing for oxygen to be transported and delivered to the tissues effectively. Administering carbon dioxide would not have the same effect, as it does not have the same affinity for hemoglobin and would not aid in displacing the bound carbon monoxide.
In patients with low hemoglobin levels, tissues may not receive sufficient oxygen, which can be diagnosed as a form of anemia. The healthcare value of interest here is percent saturation, which reflects the percentage of hemoglobin sites occupied by oxygen. Clinically, percent sat can be monitored using a pulse oximeter, which provides an estimation of the oxygen saturation of the blood.
When carbon monoxide poisoning occurs, percent saturation can be significantly affected, leading to life-threatening hypoxemia. Administering 100% oxygen maximizes the displacement of carbon monoxide from hemoglobin, thereby rapidly improving oxygen saturation and preventing the harmful effects of hypoxemia.