Oxygen 88% not in hospital?

[justanothermumsy]

My son has what I think is pneumonia. He's 10. I took him to the gp this morning and his Sp02 (oxygen saturation) was 88%. I know this is low. Should he not have been sent to hospital? He's prescribed him a week of antibiotics

Paediatric Nurse here. 02 Sats 88% = straight to A&E.

was it really the sats that were 88? The other number that comes up on a sats probe is the heart rate and that might make more sense given that the GP's happy for him to be at home. It'd be unusual and pretty bold to not refer someone in with a new presentation and sats of 88, but it'd also be a bit unusual (but not impossible) for a child to have sats that low and no other features of a serious illness. Why not try phoning the GP to double check that it was the sats and if it was then clarify at what point they think visiting a hospital would be warranted. If he looks horribly unwell though/is getting worse/you're able to measure sats at home and they really are that low, or you're not happy with the answer from the GP then a 2nd opinion would be sensible.

Crikey, my DD had reduced lung function due to severe scoliosis and physical disabilities so her Sats were never in the high 90's but even then she was never discharged from hospital with Sats below 90.
I'm very surprised your GP did not send you at least to the children's assessment unit at the hospital with those sats.

Hi everyone, I just realised I never came back and said what happened. So he was consistently below 90 throughout the night for a few nights. Low 90s in the day but visibly unwell. I could hear the fluid crackling in his lungs when he was breathing. His breathing was also quite laboured and he needed to make a lot of effort to get air in. Called GP and they said bring him back. Saw another Dr who made him do a lot of deep breaths and then did the oxygen sats, was about 93 at that point. Said was pneumonia as suspected, but no swabs done. Went home, oxygen went to low 80s in night. Called 111 they sent an ambulance. No ambulance came....next day he seemed better so I call 111 to cancel ambulance. They told me to call 999 to cancel....ridiculous and felt like I was holding up the line. I was prepared to go to A and E if another night of this low oxygen but the antibiotics must have finally kicked in and he improved gradually from them. Nightmare and very worrying but he is all fine now

88% is very low. Go to A&E.