Your Vitals Are Easier to Track With a Pulse Oximeter
Every organ in the body requires oxygen to function properly. Without it, organs start to weaken and eventually collapse. Cell collapsing can potentially lead to organs malfunctioning or failing. Subsequently, oxygen is transported to the body organs through filtration in the lungs, which then transports the oxygen to the rest of the body through the red blood cells.
Pulse Oximeter is a small, non-invasive device used to measure oxygen saturation—the level of oxygen in hemoglobin proteins. It can consistently monitor even small changes and how well oxygen moves to the body's furthest parts, such as the arms and legs. Typically, oxygen saturation shows the percentage of oxygen getting into the body organs. According to health experts, oxygen saturation levels should range between 95 – 100%. Any level below 94% is low and below 90% considered critical and can lead to a clinical emergency.
Purpose of the Oximeter
The primary purpose of a Pulse Oximeter is to detect and check how efficient your heart is pumping oxygen to the rest of the body. Furthermore, specialists can use this equipment to assess the health of people with conditions that can potentially impact blood levels, particularly when in hospital. It is also widely used in operating rooms, medical clinics, and homes. Some of these conditions may include anemia, asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, heart attack/failure, allergic reactions, congenital heart defects, and inhaling poisonous chemicals. That said, a Pulse Oximeter can be used in many ways, including;
- To evaluate or check if someone needs help breathing
- Used to check the efficiency of a ventilator
- Evaluates how efficient supplemental oxygen therapy is to a patient, especially when exposed to new treatment
- To evaluate the breathing pattern of someone when asleep
- Used to check the ability of a person to sustain increased physical activity
- To assess someone's oxygen levels during and after surgical procedures
- To evaluate how effective a new lung medication is responding
How a Pulse Oximeter Works
A Pulse Oximeter works by passing light through a transparent area using an in-built detector. During the reading, a clamp-like device is clipped on a finger, toe, or earlobe. Either side of the clip shines as the other side detects and records the light. Small beams of light run through the blood in the earlobe or the finger, indicating oxygen saturation. Then the Oximeter records light changes in the absorption of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
A Pulse Oximeter should be able to measure your oxygen saturation plus your heart rate. However, it doesn't directly determine the oxygen saturation levels but employs complex equations and data to estimate the oxygen levels. Notably, Pulse Oximeter readings are relatively accurate. But, the level of accuracy largely depends on the quality of the equipment.
You can expect a fairly accurate test when using a top-quality Oximeter found in hospitals and medical facilities. Such equipment provides readings within a two percent difference. For instance, if the result was 83 percent, your actual oxygen saturation percentage lies between 81 and 85%. Doctors should still consider other factors like your temperature, nail polish, and movement because they can significantly impact the results' accuracy.
Benefits of a Pulse Oximeter
A pulse oximeter can be used to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of a particular breathing intervention like ventilators and oxygen therapy. They can be used for vulnerable patients. Some health facilities use this device for vulnerable patients. Notably, it can work best for newborns in neonatal intensive care units to alert caregivers when the oxygen saturation drops. It can also be used to monitor oxygen saturation percentage in individuals under anesthesia.
It allows you to assess physical activity in individuals with breathing issues. Doctors and physicians can use a Pulse Oximeter to evaluate physical activities' safety in patients with respiratory and cardiovascular problems. A doctor may even recommend someone to wear the device while exercising.
A pulse oximeter can be used to record the side effects of drugs. It indicates the harmful side effects of patients taking drugs that affect oxygen saturation or breathing. It can also benefit individuals with health problems that impact oxygen saturation. Sleep specialists can use a Pulse Oximeter to detect and track the nighttime oxygen percentage of an individual with suspected severe snoring or sleep apnea.
