Authors: Ivana Lutchman/ Editor: Steve Corry-Bass, Mark Winstanley / Reviewer: Kathryn Blackmore / Codes: / Published: 04/10/2021
An 83-year-old gentleman is brought to the emergency department by ambulance with acute dyspnoea at rest. His oxygen saturations with the ambulance crew were 50% on room air and he was conversing in broken sentences.
His observations on arrival were:
- RR: 24
- Oxygen Saturations: 99% on 15L oxygen
- HR: 71 (paced)
- BP: 218/85
- Temp: 35.1
His initial ABG showed:
- pH 6.86
- pO224.1
- H2CO313.1
- pCO215.1
He has a background history of an aortic root repair, aortic valve replacement and a dual chamber pacemaker placed for complete heart block. He is a current smoker and has been relatively well prior to this presentation.
