The Why & the How

I am on vacation this week, which means sleeping in, drinking expensive lattes and walking the dog as far as her paws can carry her. It also means a chance to catch up on my reading.

I started with "Pre-oxygenation in patients destined for Endotracheal Intubation".

It turns out that there are many things we do in the ER, that I do without thinking, that have a scientific basis I didn't know.

Why do we try and get a patient's oxygen saturation up to 100%?
Because when they drop below 90%, they lose the partial pressure of oxygen required to maintain saturation, de-saturate rapidly, develop cardiac arrythmias and die.

Why do we continue to oxygenate a patient after we have paralyzed them, effectively stopping their breathing?
Because oxygen behaves like a liquid, pooling in the back of the throat and diffusing into the lungs, even without the driving force of breath to guide it.

I know. These seem like things a kid could tell you.

Why do we breathe? Cos if you don't breathe, you die.

Still, it's nice to know that the things I do have science behind them. And I forgot how lovely academic reading can be. Coffee in hand, Pickle at my feet, knowledge washing over me in gentle waves. Almost distracts me from my imminent trip to Winnipeg. In November. Almost.