A 70-year-old patient is complaining of shortness of breath. She has a history of emphysema. You should:

While it may be true that providing high levels of oxygen over prolonged time periods may cause the hypoxic drive to fail, it is a rare occurrence in the prehospital field. With the complaint of shortness of breath, it is better to ensure that the patient is fully oxygenated rather than taking a chance that she is hypoxic. The EMT-Basic is prepared to ventilate the patient if she goes into respiratory arrest due to the high levels of oxygen.