What should you do immediately?
- Assess airway
- Assess breathing
- Assess circulation
- Give Oxygen to get O2 saturation over 90%
- Establish IV access
- Place patient on the monitor
Mr. Martino’s Vital Signs: Temp =97.8, HR = 110, RR = 28, BP = 100/60, O2saturation = 86% on room air.
Recommended readings
Fast Facts #27: Dyspnea at the End of Life
Though it is always important to assess vital signs, the patient who complains of breathlessness may have normal vital signs. It is thepatient’s perception of shortness of breath that defines breathlessness.