Welcome to the O2 compendium
Learn more about the pathway of oxygen transport from inspired gas to tissue metabolism in health and disease, and the acid-base balance and its impact on oxygen transport.
About The O2 Compendium
The compendium outlines the physiological and pathophysiological aspects of lung, circulation and hemoglobin function involved in adult oxygen transport and utilization, and their respective roles in securing adequate tissue oxygenation and aerobic metabolism. It is accompanied by a slideshow (English and Norwegian versions) presenting the basics of oxygen transport and referring to the O2 compendium for details.
It also portrays the mechanisms that may impair the O2 transport in disease, i.e. dysfunction and failure of the lungs, the micro- and macrocirculation, and the hemoglobin molecules, creating a bridge between pathophysiology, clinical medicine and therapeutic principles. As severely ill patients often display changes in the acid-base balance, and such changes per se may aggravate oxygenation problems, a portrayal of acid-base balance and conditions involving pathological deviations from these is included.
It is not comprehensive, and is not a textbook. The selection of topics and extent of details, as well as the portrayal of organ function and –dysfunction, is subjective and influenced by the author’s background in anesthesia, emergency- and intensive care medicine in major university hospitals. It is a non-sponsored undertaking and has not had the benefits of professional editorial expertise; oversights, errors, repetitions and less than optimal choice of language may occur. The contents are primarily intented for use on a computer, links may not always work on mobile devices.
It also portrays the mechanisms that may impair the O2 transport in disease, i.e. dysfunction and failure of the lungs, the micro- and macrocirculation, and the hemoglobin molecules, creating a bridge between pathophysiology, clinical medicine and therapeutic principles. As severely ill patients often display changes in the acid-base balance, and such changes per se may aggravate oxygenation problems, a portrayal of acid-base balance and conditions involving pathological deviations from these is included.
It is not comprehensive, and is not a textbook. The selection of topics and extent of details, as well as the portrayal of organ function and –dysfunction, is subjective and influenced by the author’s background in anesthesia, emergency- and intensive care medicine in major university hospitals. It is a non-sponsored undertaking and has not had the benefits of professional editorial expertise; oversights, errors, repetitions and less than optimal choice of language may occur. The contents are primarily intented for use on a computer, links may not always work on mobile devices.
What can you learn?
Many institutions and associations have compiled recommendations, guidelines and algorithms describing treatment options for many diseases and emergencies. Following these usually benefits the majority of patients but do not always improve the condition of individual patients. Understanding the pathophysiology can help in understanding why, and indicate alternative therapeutic approaches when standardized algorithms fail. Among the issues the contents of the compendium may give a better understanding of, are:
- How the type of cardiac dysfunction (systolic or diastolic) determines the response to fluid infusions in circulatory failure.
- Why the PO2 response to administration of supplemental O2 varies so much between different groups of patients.
- Why measurements of Hb, arterial PO2, and SO2 (i.e. the O2 content of arterial blood) must be supplemented by estimates or measurements of blood flow (i.e. the circulatory reserve) if reliable assumptions about the adequacy of O2 delivery are to be made for individual patients.
- Why treatment algorithms, intended to benefit the majority of patients, are not successful in all patients with similar symptoms. The pathophysiological aspects presented may assist in choosing an alternative interventional approach in such patients.
- Why the goals of interventions during the hyper-acute phase of disease should be different from those in stabilized patients, with an emphasis on the view that the potential risk inherent in all types of interventions must always be weighed against the risk of not intervening in acute conditions.
Who is the target group?
The compendium is primarily written for junior doctors and specialist nurses. Failure of oxygen delivery may develop rapidly in various types of acute disease and severe trauma; it is also a feared complication during anesthesia and in intensive care medicine. Medical professionals working within these fields are thus the main target group. Other groups of medical or paramedical personnel responsible for the treatment of persons with various types of oxygenation problems, or just wish to upgrade their physiological and pathophysiological understanding of such conditions may also find some parts to be of interest.
How to get access and conditions for use
VIEW AND DOWNLOAD
The compendium and slideshow can be accessed and downloaded free of charge by medical and paramedical professionals for their personal use.
Access the Compendium
Access the Slideshow (EN)
Access the Slideshow (NO)
Please download from this link if you want to download the files as bundled in a zip file.
DONATE
Creating the material has involved some effort and expenses. If you find the contents useful, a voluntary donation would be appreciated.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All text and illustrations are the property of the author. They cannot, in any form, be included as part of other publications or distributed as educational material by institutions, organizations etc. without written permission from the author. Translation, or any use for commercial purposes, are not allowed without the author’s consent (see also Introduction on page three of the O2 compendium). The author is not responsible for how information presented in the compendium is interpreted or utilized in treatment of patients. For questions, comments or other types of communication, use the mail address below.
The compendium and slideshow can be accessed and downloaded free of charge by medical and paramedical professionals for their personal use.
Access the Compendium
Access the Slideshow (EN)
Access the Slideshow (NO)
Please download from this link if you want to download the files as bundled in a zip file.
DONATE
Creating the material has involved some effort and expenses. If you find the contents useful, a voluntary donation would be appreciated.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All text and illustrations are the property of the author. They cannot, in any form, be included as part of other publications or distributed as educational material by institutions, organizations etc. without written permission from the author. Translation, or any use for commercial purposes, are not allowed without the author’s consent (see also Introduction on page three of the O2 compendium). The author is not responsible for how information presented in the compendium is interpreted or utilized in treatment of patients. For questions, comments or other types of communication, use the mail address below.
Who is the author?
Helge Opdahl, MD, PhD, is a retired anesthesiologist and intensivist with a wide experience in patient treatment, research and education. He is a former assistant director of a surgical ICU and former director of the Norwegian National Unit for CBRNE Medicine, the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific papers and abstracts, and has been responsible for the local implementation of international multicenter scientific investigations.
Contact information
Email: contact@TheO2comp.com