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A pulse oximeter is a small device that shows the saturation of the blood with oxygen. In the era of the COVID-19 epidemic, pulse oximeters have become the only basic tools for monitoring the patient’s health. How to correctly read data from this device? What can disturb them? When should we be concerned? Doctor Krzysztof Pawlak dispels doubts.
- Pulse oximeters can be used at home by COVID-19 patients to monitor their health
- Some factors may influence the measurement result and falsify it. Remain stationary during the measurement
- You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page
How to use a pulse oximeter?
Pulse oximeters are devices that monitor the saturation of your blood with oxygen. The first time it got louder when one of the US doctors caring for COVID-19 patients said that anyone showing signs of infection or suspected coronavirus infection should have a pulse oximeter at home. According to the doctor’s observations, people suffering from COVID-19 at home, can experience a potentially dangerous drop in oxygen saturation without apparent breathing problems. Without a pulse oximeter, they may never find out or get used to how they feel, despite very low oxygen levels.
See: Pulse oximeters are gaining in popularity. All because of the words of an American doctor
– The finger pulse oximeters available in pharmacies are great as a form of self-monitoring in patients with COVID-19, because the severe course of the disease is usually associated with pneumonia, in the course of which there is a reduction in oxygen transport to the blood – explains Krzysztof Pawlak, a resident family medicine doctor.
- You can buy a pulse oximeter at Medonet Market
By monitoring your blood oxygen saturation, you can see in time when something disturbing is happening. It is helpful to know how to use a pulse oximeter correctly and what to do in case of poor results.
Check: What medications should I have in my first aid kit in case of COVID-19? [WE EXPLAIN]
What affects the operation of a pulse oximeter?
The pulse oximeter works by absorbing radiation of two different lengths by red blood cells in the capillaries. The signal measured by a pulse oximeter consists of two components: a constant and a variable (pulsating). The variable component describes the absorbance of pulsating arterial blood. From the measurement, the degree of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) is calculated.
Using a pulse oximeter is very simple, but there are a few rules to keep in mind.
– First, the fingers should be reasonably warm. In the case of cold hands, the result may be distorted due to the contraction of blood vessels within the fingertips – explains our expert.
The second rule to follow is standing still during the measurement. The falsification of the results is also influenced by the varnish on the nails – especially dark colors and the so-called hybrid varnishes and diseases of the nail plate (e.g. mycosis).
Buy the Vitammy o2 connect pulse oximeter with Bluetooth at a promotional price now on Medonet Market.
What results should concern us?
At the beginning, it is worth determining which measurement indicated by the pulse oximeter is correct.
– Most often it is assumed that the norm is the value of 95 percent. and higher. In the case of elderly patients (especially after 70-75 years of age), the saturation may be slightly lower and reach the level of 93-94%. – explains Pawlak. He adds, however, that the interpretation of the result depends not only on the patient’s age, but also on comorbidities.
– In patients suffering from severe respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depending on the severity of the disease, the saturation may be even lower – he explains.
Regardless of the patient’s age and health, low saturation values should be treated as highly abnormal.
— Saturation drop below 90%. is an indication, after prior assessment of the patient’s clinical condition and blood gas control, for oxygen therapy – warns the expert.
So, if you are using a pulse oximeter at home and you find that your measurements are below normal, take action. First, check that the measurement was done correctly and repeat it. If it’s still low, get medical attention.
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