How often should SpO2 be monitored in patients with respiratory failure?

Monitoring SpO2 is a critical part of managing patients with respiratory failure. The frequency of monitoring should take into consideration the severity of the patient’s illness and be tailored to the individual patient at the provider’s discretion. Here are some considerations:

• For patients with mild disease, SpO2 should be checked on initial assessment.
• For patients with moderate disease, SpO2 should be monitored intermittently (about every four hours).
• For patients with severe or critical disease, SpO2 should be monitored continuously or as frequently as possible.

For more information on routine monitoring and patient care, use this Charting Tool from the OpenCriticalCare.org project. 

References: Charting Tool Templates for COVID19 Care

Keywords: monitoring SpO2, respiratory failure, COVID