The pulse oximeter, also called oximeter or oximeter, is a small tool extremely useful for those who must keep their lung or heart conditions under control. This type of measurement is not limited to the outpatient procedure, but can also be carried out at home using a pulse oximeter for home use.
Pulse oximetry is generally a fairly accurate test, fast and easy to perform even for a beginner. In this article, we will understand how to use an oximeter, what parameters to consider, and how to read the values.
Table of Contents
What is a pulse oximeter, and what is it for?
The pulse oximeter is a small clip-like device that connects to a part of the body, such as the fingers, toes, or an earlobe. It is most commonly applied on a finger and is often used in intensive care setting such as an emergency room or hospital.
Some doctors, such as pulmonologists, can use it in the office. Through infrared LED lights, the oximeter measures heart rate and oxygen level in the blood, providing the data collected directly on its small screen.
The purpose of pulse oximetry is to check the health of the heart by the amount of oxygen it can pump to the rest of the body. It can be used to monitor the health of people with any type of condition that affects blood oxygen levels, especially while in the hospital. These conditions include:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Lung cancer
- Anemia
- Heart attack or heart failure
- Congenital heart defects
There are several common use cases for pulse oximetry, including:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a new lung drug.
- To assess whether someone needs help with breathing; to evaluate how useful a lung ventilator.
- To monitor oxygen levels during or after surgical procedures that require sedation.
- To determine the effectiveness of supplemental oxygen therapy, especially when the treatment is new.
- To evaluate someone’s ability to tolerate increased physical activity.
- To evaluate any problems in nighttime breathing – such as in cases of sleep apnea – during a sleep study.
The doctor may also have other reasons for recommending pulse oximetry.
Pulse oximeter: what values do you measure?
Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive and painless test that measures the oxygen saturation level or blood oxygen levels. It can quickly detect even small changes in the efficiency with which oxygen is transported to the extremities furthest from the heart, including the legs and arms. Two are the parameters to be taken into consideration.
Oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO 2)
The SpO 2 reading is an estimate of the amount of oxygen in the blood. A SpO 2 reading of 95% or higher is generally considered a normal oxygen level. A SpO 2 reading of 92% or less suggests that the blood is poorly saturated. Insufficient saturation can cause a variety of adverse health conditions, including chest pain, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate.
Pulsation
Heart rate is an estimate of the number of times the heart contracts per minute. Normal heart rate values for adults range from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). In general, a lower resting heart rate implies more efficient heart function and improved cardiovascular fitness.
For most people, a heart rate of less than 60 bpm indicates an abnormally slow heart action, also known as bradycardia. Bradycardia can cause several problematic symptoms, including fainting, fatigue, chest pain, and memory problems.
A pulse oximeter provides accurate information about SpO 2 and pulse rate in seconds, allowing you to respond quickly and confidently to abnormal readings. As a result, many people with adverse cardiac and respiratory conditions invest in personal oximeters for home use.
Note: SpO 2 and pulse rate measurements outside the normal range are not always a sign of health problems. For example, heart rate can be expected to increase during exercise, and oxygen saturation may decrease slightly (it should remain on the threshold of 90% or higher).
Pulse oximeter: How does it work?
During a pulse oximetry reading, a small clip device is placed on a finger or earlobe. Small beams of light pass through the blood in the finger, measuring the amount of oxygen. They do this by measuring changes in light absorption in oxygenated or deoxygenated blood.
It is a painless process. The pulse oximeter will then be able to tell you the oxygen saturation levels along with your heart rate. Typically, over 89% of the blood should carry oxygen.
This is the level of oxygen saturation needed to keep your cells and body healthy. Although oxygen saturation below this temporary is not expected to cause harm, repeated or consistent cases of reduced oxygen saturation levels can be harmful.
A 95 percent oxygen saturation level is considered normal for most healthy individuals. A 92 percent level indicates potential hypoxemia or an oxygen deficiency reaching the body’s tissues. If you wear dark nail polish, long and artificial nails, or if your fingers are not clean, the pulse oximeter may not work properly.
Pulse oximetry is a rapid, non-invasive, and completely painless test. It does not present any risks besides the potential skin irritation from the adhesive used in some types of probes.
The different types of pulse oximeter
The increasing use of the pulse oximeter in the home environment has led to the development of increasingly smart and easy to use devices. Below we will list the main ones.
- ACCURATE AND RELIABLE - Accurately determines your SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation levels), pulse rate and pulse strength in 10...
- FULL SPO2 VALUE - The ONLY LED pulse oximeter that can read and display SpO2 up to 100%.
- SPORTS/HEALTH ENTHUSIASTS - For sports enthusiasts like mountain climbers, skiers, bikers, and anyone needing to monitor...
- 【High Accuracy】Our Finger Oxygen Monitor features the research-grade photoplethysmograph technology that uses infrared...
- 【Instant to Start】Wear the oximeter to start. Measures blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, perfusion index and pulse...
- 【Warning Function】If your blood oxygen is lower or your pulse rate is lower/higher than the preset threshold, this finger...
- Multi-user management: The oxygen monitor fingertip features 10-user mode that allows 10 people on the same device to...
- Accurate measurement: MugaTree pulse ox provides accurate and rapid measurement of SpO2/PR/PI. The measurements will be...
- Smart alerts: Below factory Settings or below user-defined thresholds, rechargeable pulse oximeter will beep. And the...
- ACCURATE AND RELIABLE - Accurately determine your SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation levels), pulse rate and pulse strength in 10...
- SPORTS/HEALTH ENTHUSIASTS - For sports enthusiasts like mountain climbers, skiers, bikers, and anyone needing to monitor...
- EASY TO USE - Taking a reading is easy, just clip it on to your finger and turn it on at the press of a button. In the...
- Easy to use: this finger pulse oximeter designed with one button control which makes measurement more convenient and easier,...
- Accurate and reliable: our oxygen blood monitor can accurately determine your spo2 blood oxygen saturation levels in 10...
- Easy to carry: this oxygen level monitor are very light and small size, convenient in carrying, also it comes with a...
- Accurate and Reliable - The Innovo iP900AP Finger Pulse Oximeter is a premium model with an improved LED and sensor, allowing...
- Plethymosgraph and Perfusion Index - Ensure accurate SpO2 and Pulse Rate readings. Eliminate doubts about reliability or...
- Upgraded Hardware and Software - Enhanced performance with internal upgrades. iP900AP model includes auditory alarm, pulse...
- 【5S Accurate & Quick Measurement】Aleshon Pulse oximeter determine your SpO2 heart rate and heart strengthin 5 seconds and...
- 【Upgraded High-Definition 4-Color TFT Screen】Clear display of finger oxygen monitor is viewable in any environment which...
- 【Intelligently Designed Sensors】Pulse oximeter fingertip automatically detects when a finger is inserted into the device,...
- [Accurate & Fast Results]- Measures accurately and quickly spo2(blood oxygen saturation of arterial hemoglobin levels), pulse...
- [Portable & One Click Use] -The light-weight oxygen monitor is about 50g(with the batteries), you only need to put your...
- [Comfortable & Long Battery Life] -The contec oxygen meter's fingertip clip made up of hypoallergenic medical grade...
- Easy to use: this finger pulse oximeter designed with one button control which makes measurement more convenient and easier,...
- Auto shutdown: the oxygen level monitor automatically powers off after 10 seconds of inactivity
- Accurate and fast: our oxygen blood monitor can accurately determine your spo2 blood oxygen saturation levels in 10 seconds...
- ACCURATE AND RELIABLE - Accurately determines your SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation levels), pulse rate and pulse strength in 10...
- FULL SPO2 VALUE - The ONLY LED pulse oximeter that can read and display SpO2 up to 100%.
- SPORTS/HEALTH ENTHUSIASTS - For sports enthusiasts like mountain climbers, skiers, bikers, and anyone needing to monitor...
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