Kolkata: A significant number of lung patients admitted in private hospitals have been suffering from happy hypoxia or low oxygen saturation without breathing distress, which was common among Covid patients during the pandemic. Even though most of them are on oxygen support, they are not experiencing any discomfort even without it. Also referred to as the ‘silent killer’, happy hypoxia could result in death in 10 minutes if the patient is not put on oxygen support.
A section of lung patients, particularly those with COPD, asthma or pneumonia, have always had happy hypoxia, said CMRI pulmonology director Raja Dhar.“Those suffering from chronic lung ailments adopt to low oxygen saturation. Hence, they don’t experience breathing distress when oxygen saturation drops to 80-82. Their number proliferated during pandemic. It is happening again in a section of patients with lung ailments. They need constant oxygen support,” said Dhar.
Around 30%-35% of lung patients have happy hypoxia at BP Poddar Hospital. “These patients don’t feel that their oxygen level has dropped. Whenever they visit our speciality chest clinic, we put them on them proper medication and advise oxygen support,” said BP Poddar CEO Supriyo Chakrabarty.
“Those with COPD or interstitial lung disease have a strong tendency to develop it. We have seen a large number getting it during Covid. The numbers are far less now since the patient load is lower than pandemic times. They can breathe comfortably at a saturation level of 75-80,” said RTIICS intensivist Sauren Panja.
Pulmonologists pointed out that a healthy individual starts feeling breathless once saturation drops below 90. It should be acute if it drops lower than 80. “But for some it doesn’t happen. The reasons are not yet clear. A possible cause could be the brain’s breathing centre that starts adapting to a gradual decrease in oxygen level. Consequently, the lungs, too, start getting used to low oxygen supply. The breathing rate, though, goes up in such patients to compensate for the normal oxygen flow,” said Panja.
“It is difficult to gauge even for patients since you don’t sense lack of oxygen unless you breathe in deeply. Constant monitoring is the first step to check it,” said AMRI infectious disease physician Sayan Chakrabarty.
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A section of lung patients, particularly those with COPD, asthma or pneumonia, have always had happy hypoxia, said CMRI pulmonology director Raja Dhar.“Those suffering from chronic lung ailments adopt to low oxygen saturation. Hence, they don’t experience breathing distress when oxygen saturation drops to 80-82. Their number proliferated during pandemic. It is happening again in a section of patients with lung ailments. They need constant oxygen support,” said Dhar.
Around 30%-35% of lung patients have happy hypoxia at BP Poddar Hospital. “These patients don’t feel that their oxygen level has dropped. Whenever they visit our speciality chest clinic, we put them on them proper medication and advise oxygen support,” said BP Poddar CEO Supriyo Chakrabarty.
“Those with COPD or interstitial lung disease have a strong tendency to develop it. We have seen a large number getting it during Covid. The numbers are far less now since the patient load is lower than pandemic times. They can breathe comfortably at a saturation level of 75-80,” said RTIICS intensivist Sauren Panja.
Pulmonologists pointed out that a healthy individual starts feeling breathless once saturation drops below 90. It should be acute if it drops lower than 80. “But for some it doesn’t happen. The reasons are not yet clear. A possible cause could be the brain’s breathing centre that starts adapting to a gradual decrease in oxygen level. Consequently, the lungs, too, start getting used to low oxygen supply. The breathing rate, though, goes up in such patients to compensate for the normal oxygen flow,” said Panja.
“It is difficult to gauge even for patients since you don’t sense lack of oxygen unless you breathe in deeply. Constant monitoring is the first step to check it,” said AMRI infectious disease physician Sayan Chakrabarty.
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