In the case of carbon monoxide poisoning, which result should the respiratory therapist evaluate for oxygen transport adequacy?

In the scenario of carbon monoxide poisoning, evaluating arterial oxygen content is crucial for understanding oxygen transport adequacy. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin with a much higher affinity compared to oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin, leading to hypoxia even if the arterial oxygen pressure remains normal. Therefore, measuring the arterial oxygen content allows the respiratory therapist to assess the extent of oxygen delivery impairment due to the presence of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream.

While other parameters such as cardiac output and the arterial-venous oxygen content difference provide useful information, they do not specifically address the capacity of hemoglobin to transport oxygen in the presence of carbon monoxide. Evaluating oxygen consumption at the tissues is also important for understanding how effectively oxygen is utilized; however, it does not directly indicate how much oxygen is available in the blood for transport.