A pulse oximeter is in popular use in the times of Cornovairus disease.
However, the pulse oximetry test has already been useful for patients suffering from lung and heart disease.
Since it measures the pulse rate and mainly oxygen levels, it can be beneficial for both heart and lung problems.
For Covid-19 patients, it indicates the oxygen saturation of the blood painlessly and non-invasively.
This article discusses how this medical equipment is useful these days and why you should have it at all times. Keep reading below to know more!
Pulse Oximeter and Pulse Oximetry
The test that uses a pulse oximeter to measure your blood oxygen saturation level is pulse oximetry.
It can identify even minor changes in your blood oxygen levels and how well it is reaching the parts of your body that are the furthest from your heart.
This includes the arms and legs.
The device that measures is a painless and non-invasive probe.
While it can attach to other places such as the ear lobe, foot, nose, forehead and toes as well, the most common place to put it on is the finger.
The fingertip pulse oximeter uses light to detect how much oxygen is in the red blood cells and your overall body.
This is a small clip-like device that attaches to your fingertip.
It uses a cold light source that transmits small beams of light passing through your fingertip and blood.
There are two light sources that pass through for the detection.
One is the infrared light and the other is the red light.
Your fingertip turns red and it examines the light that passes through the fingertip, monitoring oxygen levels and the percentage of oxygen present in the red blood cells.
Blood that has a lot of oxygen i.e. oxygenated blood allows more red light to pass through it and infrared light to absorb through.
Whereas the blood that does not have enough oxygen i.e. deoxygenated blood allows more infrared light to pass through and absorbs red light.
Thus, they measure the changes in light absorption to determine the level of oxygen in the blood.
The reading shows up in an LED display.
This amount on the screen reflects the oxygen saturations in your red blood cells.
You can leave the probe on for continued monitoring of oxygen levels, pulse rate or use it once.
Pulse Oximeter Uses
Alongside an infrared thermometer, this device came into popular use during the Coronavirus pandemic.
This is because monitoring your oxygen levels is important if you are suffering from Covid-19.
It can help in the oxygen saturation in check so that it does not fall below dangerous levels.
In that case, you may have to rush to the hospital.
Thus, the main purpose of the device is to see if there is enough oxygen in your blood.
Therefore, its uses are not limited to Coronavirus only.
In fact, doctors use it for plenty of reasons.
These include checking the oxygen levels during or after a surgical procedure that involves sedation, evaluating someone’s ability in handling and tolerate increased physical activity such as in competitive sports outdoors, or evaluating if a ventilator is helping in breathing.
The reading can tell if the patient is facing difficulty breathing and needs help with that.
Moreover, it can tell if there are moments when a person stops to breathe while they are sleeping which is common for patients with sleep apnea.
Hence, it will determine if you require supplemental oxygen therapy to help with breathing and oxygen saturation.
The pulse oximeter will also check if your lung medicines and supplemental oxygen therapy are working properly, helping with the oxygen levels.
Therefore, in a hospital or in your home setting, this device and the test have several uses.
It is valuable for people suffering from:
- Lung Cancer
- Asthma
- Congenital Heart disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease
- Anemia
- Heart attack or heart failure
- Covid-19
If you suffer from any lung condition, the blood oxygen levels will naturally get lower than normal.
The damage to the lungs affects the oxygen uptake.
Hence, it can measure how badly the lungs are affected.
Let’s find out what its readings mean.
Pulse Oximeter Reading
Hemoglobin carried the oxygen around your body in the red blood cells.
Hence, this device measures how much hemoglobin your blood carries.
That is the oxygen saturation measured on a percentage score out of 100.
While it gives an estimation of the blood oxygen levels, it is rather precise.
Especially the medical equipment present in hospitals and medical settings.
The ones for home use can give inaccurate readings.
Though the FDA requires that these devices should give within a 4 to 6 percent range of the accurate result.
The pulse oximeter normal range is between 95 percent to 100 percent for most healthy people.
Around 89 percent of your blood should carry oxygen. At least this oxygen levels will keep your body and cells healthy.
If the oxygen saturation falls below 92 percent it can be concerning indicating hypoxemia which signifies low levels of oxygen.
That said, you should be wary of the readings as certain factors can affect the readings.
A 2020 report comparing the accuracy of blood gas measurements and pulse oximetry showed differences for Black and white patients.
There were around 3 times more cases of failure in detecting occult hypoxemia in Black patients than in white ones while using a pulse oximeter.
Whereas the blood gas measurements did show hypoxemia.
This alludes that skin color can be a factor in determining the oxygen levels through this medical tool.
There is a chance they were not initially designed keeping skin color in mind.
Hence, without consideration of the diversity of skin tones, the device may not end up giving the most accurate results.
Therefore, doctors will also consider taking more tests such as the blood gas test to look into your oxygen levels.
For this, a reading over 60 to 65 percent will be considered healthy.
Considerations and Risks
Removing Everything on the Hands
When you are measuring your oxygen levels, the first step is to remove any jewelry or fingernail polish.
Wearing these items can alter or disrupt the reading.
If nail polish is applied on your nails, you may have to check the saturation levels wat some other point such as the ear lobe.
Also, do not wear and rings or bracelets.
Relax Your Hand
If you are attaching the device on the fingers, do not tense up your hands.
Ensure that it is warm.
Also, the hand should be below heart level to gauge teh readings of the heart rate accurately.
Keep It On as Long as You Need to Measure the Saturation
Your doctor may use the pulse oximeter in inpatient and outpatient settings.
If you are in a situation whereby you need constant monitoring, they may keep it on as long as required.
Even at home, if you need to consistently check the oxygen saturation and pulse, keep it on.
Remove it Once You are Done
On the other hand, if you do not need to constantly check the readings then remove it from your finger, toe or earlobe once you are done.
Removing it will turn it off immediately.
If you need to use it again, simply attach it to your finger and turn it on.
Risks of Using It
One risk involves the skin tones, that there can be incorrect reading if you have a darker skin color.
Hence, you should not only be relying on this device to give you accurate results.
Similarly you can get an incorrect reading if you did not secure the probe on your finger, toe or earlobe.
If it falls off, the reading will be incorrect.
Some may also get irritation from the adhesive on probe.
FAQs
What are the 2 readings on a pulse oximeter?
The SpO2 represent the blood oxygen saturation levels.
The other reading is the pulse rate. You can see it represented as PR.
Are the readings from a pulse oximeter always accurate?
The FDA suggests that the SpO2 reading from the device should be considered an estimate of the oxygen saturation. For instance a reading of 90 percent may actually be somewhere between 86 to 94 percent.
Usually its accuracy is highest between 90 to 100 percent saturations, intermediate at 80 to 90 percent and further lowest below 80.
What Happens After Taking Reading?
If your oxygen levels are on the low side i.e. below 90, your doctor will decide whether you will need supplemental oxygen.
This can also help them figure out if your existing treatment is working.
What is Pulse Oximeter Price?
You can purchase a pulse oximeter over-the-counter at affordable rates.
However, beware that the results may not always be accurate in take home devices.
So do your research before purchasing one.
Finally,
A pulse oximeter is a very important medical device in today’s world.
Knowing your oxygen levels through it easy and just a click away.
However, if you are in a serious condition, your doctor will recommend cross checking the results with other blood oxygen tests.
They will give a more accurate measurement of your blood oxygen levels and what their treatment plan should be following that.
