O2THER is a computerized simulation program for teaching oxygen therapy. The computer generates clinical settings using six patient types and nine different oxygen devices, with patients being normal, acutely hypoxemic, or chronically hypoxemic. The student evaluates the situation and selects the appropriate mode of oxygen therapy. First the clinical situation is randomly selected, with specific guidelines for age, hemoglobin, and PaO2; then equations are used to calculate PAO2 and PACO2 in cases of acute hypoxemia. The goal is to stabilize the patient. As the student learns by trial and error (without harm to a real patient), the program also allows a simulated adverse response to inappropriate oxygen therapy.
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