RT Cave Rule: Sats low? Check the tubing first

So, I was called stat to the emergency room. I was told to give a breathing treatment to the lady in room 221. She was in severe respiratory distress.

I opened the door to her room. She was sitting there blue and puffing. But, I watched as the nurse disconnected her from her home concentrator and hooked her nasal cannula up to the wall

She continued to be blue and winded. She was a happy little lady, though. She never stopped chatting, despite the fact she was pretty winded. And she started talking about her cats. Oh, how she loved her cats.

And so I checked her nasal cannula. It had holes in it. She said, "My cats got into my oxygen tubing. And I didn't have any replacement tubing."

From the cabinet, in the room, I grabbed a new nasal cannula. I took her off of her cannula. I put the new cannula on her. And, lo and behold, her pulse oximeter reading perked right up to 92%. She was also no longer blue.

Of course, I still have to give her that breathing treatment. But, by the time I started it she was feeling fine.

Labs were later drawn. An x-ray was taken. And they were both normal for her. So, the doctor discharged her and we sent her on her way.

The discharge diagnosis: Catsma.

So, we will make this RT Cave Rule #62. If the patient's blue with low sats, check the tubing first.