what level oxygen sats is BAAAD?

[notknowledgeable]

I've been ill for over a week, and use an oxygen monitor, Sats are going up and down a bit, but overall, the dips are getting lower. I know if I ring the NHS they will say go to A and E, but the queue at the moment is well over 20 hours.... a local friend stuck her head in for me and asked.

So what levels can I ignore? What levels need an eye kept on them? What levels are considered an emergency?

I am immunocompromised, and generally come out of A and E with more infections than I go in with....

I am hoping I'll be ok to stay home until the GP opens again on Monday, but not sure.

I am reluctant to give the actual figures, because I will inevitably get people saying I am making a fuss about nothing, and that I am 20 minutes from deaths door! So just wondered as a ball park figure, what oxygen SATs level you would just go to bed, and what level would you be calling an ambulance?

Thank you

My husband has mild COPD and occasional epileptic sleep seizures. When he comes round his oxygen level is usually around 85, and gradually goes back up to about 90'after a couple of hours. When he first started having seizures I always called an ambulance but no-one was ever particularly concerned when his level was 85 or above.

What is your reading OP?

@notknowledgeable would you mind sharing what pulse ox monitor you have? I think I need to get one for DH who sounds awful with a 'cold' on a background of asthma.

DH is immunocompromised. We go to a&e if they stay below 92 for a while, or chest feels particularly tight, he's always taken straight through and usually ends up with intravenous antibiotics and discharged the same day with strong ones to take at home.

Don't leave it too long, best to nip it in the bud before it gets really nasty.

It is like this one, I got it from amazon. I dont know how accurate it is, but I do know what is a normal reading for me

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLT-fingertip-Oximeter-Saturation-Batteries/dp/B08GPDX3S7/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AZC39GKH6YXR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aSix1otyRH5pXu3OeFIbPxO85gok_0r9sSbsFxRTPmmoscBWGYg7WGa9djW4Q7NKCm_ixd208hpa9NYBzOu-01eCctPsXjd5rLg5oPPN6rr9kEf5HERkrij0873BDDIj-u5B5xz9rkwsHnhroJIyqavkUIWcK1aCB2yNYCLD10UvStE7TdwIqzsIUtouOvBehBIBzyA42HqVVkd-fQhkF37DrCLH5vuCx7nOVAsXea32GDEkQ4-IESckZBf4-vdsDVXxEKZkAP5U7HRn2_NOHWUHsQuD38JGigr96BRGvyU.ECze49AISHlXcCzK-heAUSXY3y9jaoFY49BIVOBmq-0&dib_tag=se&keywords=oxygen+monitor&qid=1708115787&sprefix=oxygen+monitor%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Below 90. Both of my children were blue-lighted to hospital by ambulance on separate occasions when their sats dropped below 90 due to viral wheeze / asthma (not Covid). I am very very glad that I bought a pulse oximeter in the early days of the pandemic.

I was 92 with covid. My lips were a bit blue.
I think that's borderline but not sure.

Thank you @notknowledgeable that's useful. Even if it's not 100% accurate, if it gives a consistent reading then you know when it's high or low for you (if that makes sense).

Hope you get sorted soon and are on the mend quickly.

I didn't seek any help as I felt OK.

92 is in the red, 93-96 is yellow and 97+ green. DH was admitted to hospital with asthma last year and his breathing was 90-91.

My lips were a bit blue. This is a warning sign that you do not have enough oxygen in your blood, I wouldn't ignore it even if you don't feel that bad, but glad you are okay now @FindingMeno

I didn't realise at the time tbh.

It depends on your normal range.
Mine is usually between 92 - 95 (asthma but actually it's long covid which keeps them low).
Most people below 92 is A & E time.

Yeah, it needs to be quite high to be fully functional. It needs to be in the 90s ideally, else you will start to struggle badly. My DH had a collapsed/punctured lung and it went down to 70-something. This was when he tried to move with the help of the ambulance team. This was near death basically.
If it feels wrong and you are worried, call 111 or even 999 if you find your breathing suddenly much more difficult/pain/dizzyness.

Hope you're ok OP.

I am generally healthy but was blue-lighted to A&E at 85 and not allowed out until it was a steady 94 several days later. That was a few years ago when the wait wasn't so bad but they put me ahead of others in the queue at A&E - all mortifying but apparently necessary.

The Dr later explained that when it dips it can go down really far, really fast - basically a cliff edge even tho 85 sounds high (I was still in "but 70% is an A at school" mode 🤦🏻‍♀️).

we are just leaving - I may be some time!

@Sherrystrull @ShirleyPhallus @Scottishskifun @BobbyBiscuits @FindingMeno @halesie @ichifanny @stressbucket1 @BarbaraWoodlouse @AinsleyHayes @Pudmyboy @caringcarer

AND everyone else who contributed, thank you very much for answering me last week. I've just got out of hospital. I have been on oxygen and intravenous antibiotics for flu that turned into pneumonia. I am feeling better now, but still in bed for the next couple of weeks, and still monitoring oxygen levels. If they go down again, I know to go in sooner now.

@notknowledgeable So glad you got there, got diagnosed and treated. As you say, you now know the signs. Keep on resting up, eating well and plenty of water. Hope you fell much better soon.

Glad you're ok op, I've been thinking of you.

Glad you're feeling better. Always better to be safe than sorry with breathing difficulties. 💐

Glad you are home and on the mend. Glad you went in and got treated.

Totally out of curiosity, what were you op values when you decided to go in.

Glad you are home. Glad the thread helped you make a decision.
It is important that while sats are usefulish as a guide, if they are fine but you feel dreadful/have other signs then you should still go in.

They were varying wildly, mostly between 85 and 95. Then started to dip below 85 for about 10 minutes at a time, but I had already called my friend for help by then, after the advice on here

88% or lower go to A and E

I am glad you got treatment. In case anyone else is taking advice from the responses, good to consider that your oxygen can further and suddenly dip so even if you've dipped from 95 to 92 you have dipped because there's an issue. Unless that issue has been assessed and treated by a medic then you new low reading is your starting point for any more dips. It can be v sudden. Seek help. Be well soon, OP.