Thus, if your pulse ox is 75%, your Qp/Qs is roughly 1,
if your pulse ox is 80%, your Qp/Qs is roughly 1.25,
if your pulse ox is 85%, your Qp/Qs is roughly 1.67,
if your pulse ox is 90%, your Qp/Qs is roughly 2.5.
NOTE: Remember, Qp increases at the expense of Qs. Thus, higher saturations are
not the goal!! As PVR drops over time, it can be very difficult to prevent pulse ox sats
from increasing.
Again, these are approximate calculations based on many assumptions. Other
data that can help the clinician assess the patient’s overall status include:
Urine output
Capillary refill
Heart rate
Base deficit
PROSTAGLANDINS
Prostaglandin E1 (Alprostadil) promotes vasodilation of the ductus arteriosus. This
allows for the ductus to provide blood flow to structures when the cardiovascular
development creates a situation in which oxygenation or perfusion is impaired by
congenital heart disease.
Side effects include