Pulse Oximeter
Health professionals use a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the blood without having to draw a blood sample. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen through the blood. Oxy-hemoglobin is the name for when oxygen is bound. When it is not bound, it is called deoxy-hemoglobin. A pulse oximeter measures how much hemoglobin is in Oxy-hemoglobin.
What is a Pulse Oximeter?
Oxygen is necessary for a person’s survival. When oxygen levels drop and are not corrected it can lead to severe brain damage, comas, and even death. Pulse oximetry measures the amount of oxygen that is carried by your blood cells to the rest of your body. Oxygen saturation is a very important reading for people who have lung diseases or other breathing disorders that require them to be on supplemental oxygen. This is where a pulse oximeter comes in handy. It makes sure that the readings are correct in order to keep these patients alive.
Types of Pulse Oximeter
There are three types of machines used for oximetry. These machines are hooked to external body parts such as the earlobe or finger for an accurate reading.
- A finger pulse oximeter is often used at home to measure a patient’s oxygen level. You simply attached the oximeter to the tip of the finger to get readout of the oxygen level. The oximeter has a tiny computer and screen. These are the easiest machines to use however if the patients hand or finger is damaged or his blood flow is slow because of clots or another injury then you may not get an accurate reading and need to choose another method.
- A handheld pulse oximeter is used in most hospitals. It works similarly to the fingertip pulse oximeter and can be attached to the finger or the earlobe. It has a more versatile clip and attaches to a computer. This is often used in cases where the patient has little blood flow, as the earlobe is so close to the brain that it very seldom has restricted blood flow.
- A fetal pulse oximeter measures the oxygen level of a fetus. It is very important to know the oxygen level especially during labor. It is extremely difficult to use a traditional method to do this before the baby is born so the fetal pulse oximeter was invented. The probe is inserted into the birth canal and attached to the baby’s scalp. One of the greatest benefits of the fetal oximeter is that it measures the baby’s heartbeat as well.
Limitations of Pulse Oximeter
Even with a pulse oximeter measuring spo2 there are limitations as to what it can accomplish. Nothing is fool proof and there are a few things that can cause the reading to be wrong even if you are on an oxygen monitor.
Pulse oximeters can’t detect if enough blood is getting to the tissues. Poor perfusion occurs in cases like hypotension also known as low blood pressure. It also occurs in hypovolemia, which is low blood volume among other conditions. The reduction in blood flow causes the meter to read wrong or not at all.
Skin color is also a consideration when using a pulse oximeter. They tend not to pick up on darker colored skin. You should always try to attach the oximeter to the earlobe or fingertip, which is a lighter skin tone.
When taking pulse ox it is best if the patient is warm. You can do this by covering them with blankets. If the patient is cold and shivering, the oximeter can’t pick up a reading because it depends on the pulsation of the arterial blood flow to provide accurate readings.
Nail polish or fake fingernails can also mess of the reading of the pulse oximeter. The meter senses light wavelengths and anything that interferes with that causes an inaccurate reading. It is best either to have the patient remove the nail polish before the reading or to attach the nellcor pulse oximeter to the ear lobe instead.
Normal hemoglobin ranges from 11 to 18g/dl. Persons that have anemia can cause the oximeter not to read accurately. Anemia is a hemoglobin deficiency that causes the ranges to fall below the normal. Other options should be explored in cases where a patient has anemia.
There are several factors that can lead to an inaccurate reading and these machines should not be used on people with asthma or sleep apnea. Persons that have cold hands, weak pulse, advanced age, or poor placement of the oximeter can also lead to false results.
Brands and Reviews
There are quite a few medical and retail shops where you can find these oximeters and a few different brands. A nonin pulse oximeter is one that the pulse oximeter reviews have been positive for. Another oximeter with positive reviews is the nellcor pulse oximeter. Nonin and other brands can be found online and you can do research on them there as well.
It is best of course to consult your doctor before trying any brand of oximeter as he can examine you to find what the underlying cause of your problem is. He can also see if a home oximeter is right for you.
Advantages of using a Pulse Oximeter
There are many advantages to using a pulse oximeter both in a clinical setting and at home. Up until recently the only way to measure, an arterial oxygen level was by taking blood from an artery. This was time consuming and could be dangerous. The invention of oximeters has made unnecessary except for when the patient is in extreme distress or in an emergency. It has made it easier for health care providers to treat patients and is much less time consuming and invasive. Oximeters are fast and can take patients levels in a few seconds. They are not invasive to the patient at all and they give reliable results in most cases.
At home, an oximeter keeps a check on the patient’s levels and makes it easier for them as they don’t have to run back and forth to the doctor to have their oxygen levels measured.
All types of oximeter are cover including:
Pulse Oximeter Reviews