Thread: A practical list of things/checkboxes I've come up with from half a month of everyday battle with critical covid patients. Will keep updating.
1. Buy a pulse oxymeter (many hospitals are asking patients to get their own)

2. If you are a Covid positive caregiver, at all time carry a bottle of tang water or ors in your bag, check your own O2, take your own zinc and multivitamins.
3. Anyone who asks to send full advance for a cylinder ahead of delivery, say you will pick it up from them yourself

9/10 are frauds who will disconnect your call. Those delivering cylinders, genuine, will have no problem you picking it up from their warehouse.
4. Most 10l cylinders aren't being refilled to full capacity and are running out in an hour. Keep a spare if you can
5. Your society

RWA usually keeps a cylinder for emergency. Approach them. They also send staff to refill and can take yours along. In panic we forget that huge societies have these emergency stock
6. The cylinder dealer won't give a flow meter, ask around for one or buy one. Without equipment

Flow meter, wrench, key, bottle, your cylinder won't be of use in crisis. Pharmacies have, you have to look. Other option is, send a runner to nearest hospital emergency. Their staff have.
7. This is not medical advice, just experience, concentrators aren't of use if patient's

Oxygen is very low (45-46). Also they won't work in closed AC rooms. They need ventilation source. Keep doors windows open when you use it.
8. Keep a nurse on standby from nursing agency but they won't do 12 hour shifts, only 24 hours bec they too have to quarantine.

9. Bipap machines are available at hospitals, but in some cases like we were told to get our own. Do not panic buy medical equipment, ask hospital to give in writing they can't provide. Ask around on social media if anyone's rented and can spare for a day.

10. Please, please share your resources. My concentrator was used by three patients on the same floor when my mother was switched to cylinder. People are desperate. We're in this together. But DO NOT give your oxygen mask. Ask them to attach their own mask to your machine.

11. Get your hospital to give you a letter like this (this is my mother's). You will need to show at oxygen plants and if stopped during lockdown/curfew.

12. If your doctor is advising Remsdesivir, and your hospital does not have, or if you're being advised to buy from black market, get your hospital to give you a letter like this. This will have to be submitted to cmo office.

13. Keep a patient bag packed at all times. Condition of covid patients change rapidly and you might have to transfer to hospital on short notice. Here's a list of things that aren't too much, but just enough.
- inflatable pillow
- nightie/tshirt pajamas
- essential meds

- a spare oxygen mask
- sanitiser, masks
- small flask for hot water
- a small packet of bournvita/Ensure
- small sipper cup with straw, two spoons
- spare Specs, mobile charger, mobile
- papers/documents

14. Care for domestic workers/staff: Chances are that if you employ a driver who's running around with you to pharmacy, hospital etc, please arrange for their PPE suits, gloves, masks, shield. They're getting as exposed as you.

15. If you're shifting patients from one hospital to another, and have one other person to help you, send them to do discharge papers while you get patient ready. First arrange ambulance + oxygen. Discharge takes 2+ hours and most hospitals won't hold a bed for that long

16. Can't stress this enough. Don't panic constantly and obsess over oxymeter reading. I have seen patient's family pull a doctor away from more critical cases in utter panic mode to complain that the saturation of patient is 90. NOT medical advice, but experience:

Let me stress once again, since some are reporting the thread for giving "unqualified medical advice", I've repeatedly said please consult your physician. All of this is from dealing with a critical care patient and my personal experience. Your experience will obviously vary +

Go by what your doctor says. My mother's pulse oxymeter reading varied between 82-90 and doctors advised not to panic, if yours dips, strictly go by doctor's advice. All of the other tweets are generic and general advice meant only to help, not harm.

I can't believe I'm actually having to explain this.