Which monitoring elements should be included in ongoing oxygen therapy?

• A. SpO2 targets only.
• B. SpO2 targets, respiratory rate and work of breathing.
• C. Only device type.
• D. Only blood gas values.

Answer: (B)

Ongoing oxygen therapy should be guided by both oxygenation and how hard the patient is working to breathe. SpO2 targets tell you whether the blood is staying within a safe oxygen range, helping to avoid both too little and too much oxygen. But oxygen levels alone don’t reveal ventilation effort or emerging distress. Monitoring respiratory rate shows how fast the patient is breathing, and observing work of breathing indicates whether they are tiring, using extra muscles, or showing signs of respiratory distress. Together, these measures provide real-time feedback to adjust therapy appropriately.

Focusing only on the device type misses how the patient is actually faring, and relying solely on blood gas values gives a single snapshot that may miss rapid changes between tests.