Which of the following is a common indication of a patient’s oxygenation status?

Oxygen saturation is a critical indicator of a patient’s oxygenation status because it directly reflects the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the blood. Measured typically using pulse oximetry, oxygen saturation values provide valuable insight into whether a patient is receiving adequate oxygenation. Normal oxygen saturation levels generally range from 95% to 100% in healthy individuals. Values below this range may indicate hypoxemia and a potential need for supplemental oxygen or other medical interventions.

While blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate are important vital signs and can provide information about a patient's overall hemodynamic status, they do not specifically measure oxygenation. Blood pressure indicates the force of circulating blood on blood vessel walls, heart rate provides insight into cardiac activity, and respiratory rate assesses the frequency of breathing but does not quantify oxygen availability to tissues. Thus, oxygen saturation is the most direct and commonly used measure of oxygenation status in clinical practice.