Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My oxygen saturation has been hovering around 90 to 92 percent, with a pulse of 55 to 60. I have a chronic condition and sometimes experience shortness of breath while walking short distances, along with occasional nausea during activity. I have noticed this issue since undergoing anesthesia during an appendectomy, when I required supplemental oxygen for two days, and the best oxygen saturation achieved was 93 percent. I am currently taking Metoprolol, Venlafaxine, Losartan, and Levothyroxine.
Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
An oxygen saturation level of 90 to 92 percent is lower than normal for most adults at sea level, where typical values range from 95 to 100 percent. Persistent readings in this range suggest mild hypoxemia, especially when associated with shortness of breath on minimal exertion and nausea with activity. A pulse rate of 55 to 60 beats per minute is on the lower side and may be related to Metoprolol, which slows the heart rate, but it does not explain the low oxygen levels.
The fact that your oxygen saturation remained low even after anesthesia and required supplemental oxygen, only reaching 93 percent, raises concern for an underlying chronic lung or heart condition that has not yet been evaluated. It could be due to:
Chronic lung disease.
Pulmonary hypertension.
Cardiac dysfunction.
Less commonly, issues such as anemia.
This situation is not necessarily an emergency if you are stable at rest, but it is not considered normal and should be properly assessed with the following investigations:
Chest X-ray.
Echocardiogram.
Pulmonary function tests.
Blood work.
Possibly arterial blood gas analysis.
If any of the following occur, you should seek urgent medical care immediately:
Oxygen drops below 88 percent.
Chest pain.
Severe breathlessness at rest.
Confusion.
Bluish discoloration of lips or fingers.
I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.
Thank you.
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