Pulse Oximeter - What Is It Exactly?

With the advances in technology, many new devices which are designed to monitor the patient's health have been developed on a regular basis

. The good thing about these devices is that they can be used in the hospital and they also have the device for home use. Some of the most notable innovation is the thermometer, glucose monitor, blood pressure monitor and today, the pulse oximeter.

Although primarily used in hospitals, a pulse oximeter is a device which monitors the patient's SpO2. SpO2 is the percentage of oxygen in the hemoglobin, it is also known as the blood oxygen saturation. It is normally attached to the finger, ear lobe or toe linked to a computer unit. The measurement of the oxygen in blood is known as pulse oximetry.

A pulse oximeter is a small device that has a monitor which displays the oxygenation of the patient at all time. It also displays the heart rate of the patient. The pulse oximeter is also available in portable and battery-operated for the home use. It was first developed in 1940s but was only commercialized in 1981 by Biox in the United States.

Pulse oximeters are useful medical devices because of their simplicity and speed in telling readings; especially for patients who have unstable oxygenation who are in intensive care, recovery, operating and emergency wards. They are also very useful for patients who have respiratory and cardiac diseases and sleep disorders. Individuals can also use this to monitor themselves and if anything should happen, they can immediately call their doctor and get diagnosis.

On the other hand, conventional pulse oximeters have disadvantages. There is inaccuracy in the readings when the patient has poor blood circulation. Because of this, medical decisions are hard to make.

Today though, newer models have been made that were upgraded from their old model and are able to tell more accurate readings without needing an arterial blood gas test. Doctors are also using pulse oximeters to assess the medical condition of the patient without dealing with the wires or the pulse oximeter machine. They can now do their rounds and move from room to room easily.

by: Jack Rogers

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