NYS BLS Pulse Oximetry Protocols

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Can anyone direct me to information regarding any NYS BLS Protocols for use of pulse oximetry? Specifically to measure oxygen saturation?

I have looked in both the NYS DOH BEMS site and the WREMSCO page and the relevant documents on each of these pages but I have not been able to find any mention of measuring oxygen saturation and pulse oximetry. I am sure it is out there in one regard or another but I just can't seem to find the document or the page.

Thanks in advance.

[ny10570 745]

What are you looking for? There's nothing even for ALS dictating treatment based upon sPO2. It's a great tool to help monitor the efficacy of your therapy and to impartiality quantify the severity of a respiratory complaint. It is absolutely not a treatment indicator...yet. There's enough research on the harms of oxygen administration to begin questioning the NYS approach of high flow O2 for all. But that's for another thread.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

I am not looking for treatment protocols, I am simply looking for any documents that NYS DOH BEMS or WREMSCO has put out regarding its use on patients at the BLS level.

I use it up here in VT, every patient of mine gets a pulse ox and SPO2, of course l assess for accuracy of the unit and the quality which a digital read out can not provide. Obviously if you are sating at 99% but blue or having difficulty breathing or the indication for O2 is present, of course I give it right away, but if I don't need to give you O2 why should I? Then again, if I knew you were sating at say 85% vs. 95% that would certainly change the amount of O2 I would be administering or even the administration method/route.

I guess I am simply asking, is there a protocol for pulse ox/SPO2 at the BLS level in NYS and is it wise to allow BLS crews to use individual discretion in tandem with pulse ox/SPO2 in regards to treatment decisions and oxygen administration.

[ny10570 745]

Short answer is no. There is no protocol for sPO2 based therapy ALS or BLS.

[newsbuff 286]

I wish my company gave us pulse-ox machines.

[comical115 32]

In NYS a BLS unit can use and document SpO2 if allowed by the agency's medical director. As stated above, at present, there is no SpO2 based treatment. Last time I heard there was a proposed change to the NYC protocol that allowed for titration of O2 for SpO2 < 93% but nothing written in stone.

I don't have the link infront of me, but as per NYCREMSCO SpO2 is manditory for ALS, optitional for BLS.

[Pagers 197]

Just check with your governing agency, your regional agency, and the state, not everything is online, just call or email.. The department I was with used a PulseOx but we were under our look Municipal EMS provider.