Post operative surgical patients can be successfully managed using the target oxygen saturation scheme with the BTS emergency oxygen guidance

Too little and too much oxygen can both prove fatal. The BTS Guideline for Emergency Oxygen used in adult patients was published in 2008. The essence of the guideline was that oxygen is prescribed according to a target saturation range and the patients subsequently be kept within the target range. The target saturation could be used in the post operative period although this was not covered in detail in the guideline. In this hospital, Anaesthetists prescribe oxygen post-operatively to target saturation. This study investigated whether this is successful. Methods: 49 patients were studied in the post-operative ward and in the surgical ward to examine whether the BTS guideline was being followed. Results: All patients had been prescribed oxygen to a target saturation of 94-98%. Patients on the post operative ward from 45-90 minutes. Saturations were checked every 15 minutes on all patients. Only 3 saturations were below 94% and all were on the initial recording in the post op ward. The oxygen saturation was above 98% in 30 of the 42 patients on oxygen at 15 minutes and 24/40 at 30 minutes. At 60 minutes on the post op ward, 6 patients were on nasal specs (NS), 24 on simple face masks (SM) on arrival on the surgical ward, 16 were on NS and 2 were on SM. In 25 oxygen had been stopped and there was no data on 6 patients. In 6 patients on SM the flow was reduced below 5 L/min. Re-breathing may occur and this is not recommended. Conclusion: The BTS Emergency Oxygen Guideline the target saturations can be successfully used in post operative surgical patients. Low oxygen saturations were rare but high saturations were common.