Question

Why would it be important to monitor the oxygen saturation of a person with severe asthma?

Answer 1

Well asthma is a disease of the airways, not he little air sacs (alveoli) where the gas exchange itself takes place. So even if your airways are very constricted and tight, often enough oxygen is able to pass through to your blood and therefore show a normal or near normal oxygen saturation. Hope this helps you :)

Answer 2

Problems with gas exchange can relate to anything that reduces the ability of oxygen to travel from outside air down into your alveoli or the process of oxygen transfer from the alveoli into the capillaries of the blood, such as in asthma or COPD. Decreased oxygen saturation may result from a lower concentration of hemoglobin, such as in iron deficiency anemia.