What is the normal oxygen level for someone with COPD?

Oxygen can be given to COPD patients, but only in controlled amounts and only if a SaO2 (oxygen saturation) of 88-92% is aimed for, rather than the usual 94-98% SaO2 that is usually desired for most other acutely ill patients who do NOT have COPD or who are not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure. Hypercapnia respiratory failure is when there is too much carbon dioxide in your blood, and near-normal or not enough oxygen in your blood, and it can be fatal. It commonly occurs in people with COPD who are given too much or uncontrolled amounts of oxygen.

Studies have shown that for a male who is still smoking at age 65 and classified with GOLD Stage 3 or 4 COPD, the life expectancy was reduced by 5.8 years. For a male 65 years of age with Stage 1 disease and still smoking, life expectancy was reduced 0.3 years, and for Stage 2, it was reduced by 2.2 years. In addition, there are another 3.5 years of life lost due to smoking itself. Continue reading

Symbicort contains an inhaled corticosteroid (“steroid”) known as budesonide to reduce inflammation in the lungs, but also contains a medicine known as formoterol. Formoterol is a long-acting inhaled bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways to improve breathing. Continue reading