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Sep 13, 2024 · Turn on the pulse oximeter and place it on your fingertip, ideally the middle or index finger. Sit still and avoid moving while the device reads your oxygen levels and heart rate. The screen will display your oxygen saturation level (SpO2) and pulse rate within seconds. Ensure the reading is stable for 30 to 60 seconds before removing the device.
May 2, 2024 · A pulse oximeter is a device that measures your pulse rate (or heart rate) and the percentage of oxygen in your blood, showing digital readings for both in a matter of seconds. Pulse oximetry is a ...
- Overview
- Purpose and uses
- How to take a reading
- Pulse oximetry readings
- What’s next?
- Takeaway
A pulse oximeter measures your blood oxygen levels and pulse. A low level of oxygen saturation may occur if you have certain health conditions. Your skin tone may also affect your reading.
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive test that measures the oxygen saturation level of your blood.
It can rapidly detect even small changes in oxygen levels. These levels show how efficiently blood is carrying oxygen to the extremities furthest from your heart, including your arms and legs.
The pulse oximeter is a small, clip-like device. It attaches to a body part, most commonly to a finger.
The purpose of pulse oximetry is to see if your blood is well oxygenated.
Medical professionals may use pulse oximeters to monitor the health of people with conditions that affect blood oxygen levels, especially while they’re in the hospital.
These can include:
•chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
•asthma
•pneumonia
Pulse oximetry may be useful in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you have a pulse oximeter for home use.
To take a reading with a pulse oximeter, you will:
1.Remove any jewelry or fingernail polish on your finger if measuring from this location.
2.Make sure your hand is warm, relaxed, and below heart level if attaching the device here.
3.Place the device on your finger, earlobe, or toe.
4.Keep the device on for as long as needed to monitor your pulse and oxygen saturation.
Pulse oximetry tests are an estimation of blood oxygen levels, but they’re typically precise. This is especially true when using high quality equipment found in most medical offices or hospital settings. With this equipment, medical professionals can carry out the tests accurately.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that prescription oximeters must provide results within an accuracy range of 4 to 6 percent.
The American Thoracic Society says that typically, more than 89 percent of your blood should be carrying oxygen. This is the oxygen saturation level needed to keep your cells healthy.
Having an oxygen saturation temporarily below this level may not cause damage. But repeated or consistent instances of lowered oxygen saturation levels may be damaging.
An oxygen saturation level of 95 percent is considered typical for most healthy people. A level of 92 percent or lower can indicate potential hypoxemia, which is a seriously low level of oxygen in the blood.
Various factors can affect readings, including a person’s skin tone.
Once the test is over, your doctor will have the readings available immediately. This will help them determine if other testing or treatment is necessary.
If you’re evaluating how successful your oxygen supplementation therapy is, for example, a reading that’s still on the low side might indicate the need for more oxygen.
Pulse oximetry is a quick, noninvasive, and completely painless test. It comes with no risks, aside from potential skin irritation from the adhesive used in some types of probes.
However, it’s not as accurate as clinical blood gas measurements, especially for people with darker skin tones.
Considerations When Using Pulse Oximetry Blood oxygen saturation is a measure of the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the blood stream. It is usually expressed as a percentage rather than an absolute reading. Pulse oximeter s define this percentage in a different way than other instruments. These subtle, but important differences, are
Mar 21, 2024 · The sensor detects the amount of light that passes through the tissue and calculates the oxygen saturation level based on the differences in absorption between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive and painless procedure that provides real-time monitoring of a patient's oxygen levels.
Jan 13, 2023 · For example, if an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter reads 90%, then the actual oxygen saturation in the blood is generally between 86% and 94%. Most healthy people have blood oxygen levels between 95% and 100%, but this can be lower for people with lung problems.
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Feb 27, 2023 · Pulse oximeters cannot tell the difference between carbon monoxide and oxygen in your blood, so your readings will be off. There are several other factors that can impact the accuracy of your ...