Question

What when assessing your patient what findings would you observe that would indicate your patient had low tissue oxygenation, early signs and late signs?

Answer 1

Early signs of low tissue oxygenation include elevated heart rate, hypoxemia, shortness of breath, and crackling lung sounds. Late signs may include confusion, nausea, seizures, and metabolic acidosis. A pulse oximeter is used to measure percent saturation of hemoglobin, providing a clinical estimation of a patient's oxygenation status.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a patient for signs of low tissue oxygenation, both early and late indications can be observed. Early signs of tissue hypoxia may include elevated heart rate, hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood), shortness of breath, and crackling sounds upon auscultation of the lungs. A pulse oximeter may show reduced percent saturation of hemoglobin, which is a clinical measure of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Late signs of low tissue oxygenation may manifest as confusion, nausea, gasping for air, and in severe cases, seizures or metabolic acidosis. In neonates, symptoms such as temperature instability, bradycardia, hypotension, difficulty feeding, and severe cases like seizures and hemiparesis can indicate late-onset hypoxia. Observing these signs warrants prompt medical intervention to address the underlying cause and prevent further complications.