Saturation Rate

Jolene · Post by **Jolene** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:52 pm

My Doctor told me that during my sleep study I had a problem with my saturation rate. Can any of you explain this Is this the amount of oxygen that is in your blood stream or the amount you breath in? Jolene

Dave Hargett · Post by **Dave Hargett** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:23 pm

The reference is usually to the oxygen level in your blood as measured by the oximeter that was on your finger (the red light like ET). That level should normally stay in the mid to upper 90's in both daytime and normal sleep.

Many of us with sleep apnea have significant levels of oxygen desaturation when we stop breathing.

not2worry · Post by **not2worry** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:50 pm

If your saturation rate is consistanly low your doctor should add oxygen to your CPAP regime. At least that is what the sleep center told me. The CPAP will not deliver additional oxygen, just regular air with normal amounts of oxygen. Your body needs the oxygen to keep your organs (especially the brain) functioning.

Dave Hargett · Post by **Dave Hargett** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:04 am

For many of us, CPAP alone returns the oxygen level back to normal since we are now able to breathe normally during sleep. Yes, a few folks do need supplemental oxygen, but from the patients I've talked to it is a very small number.

So the key is to check the oxygen levels after the patient has been using CPAP for a while.

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:20 am

PulseOx (as its often referred to) as said should be in the mid to high 90's. Did they do a split night study on you? What happened during my study without cpap I dropped to high 80's low 90's. Once Cpap was on I stayed at 96% the rest of the time. If you haven't been titrated yet, I wouldn't be concerned about having to add O2 as it was said before, the reason that it is dropping is not due to any factor other than Sleep Apnea. However, if you have Asthma, COPD, or some other underlying respiratory problem then O2 therapy might be required. First rule in being proactive with your medical care - DON'T FREAK OUT ANd GET ALL THE FACTS!