What is a pulse oximeter and how does it work?

Paylaşım : 8 months ago

The oximeter is a device that attaches to the finger or earlobe and then sends infrared light to the blood vessels there to detect the oxygen level.

In what situations is the oximeter used?

There are certain situations where the use of an oximeter is necessary. For example, in cases where the patient’s blood oxygen level needs to be constantly monitored, it must be used. Apart from this, it can also be used for occasional measurements depending on the patient’s symptoms. In general, the most common situations in which the oximeter is used are:

Patients who are about to undergo surgery or have just come out of surgery,
To check the effectiveness of lung medications,
To determine if people with intense physical activity can handle the effort,
To establish whether the patient needs respiratory support,
In diagnosing sleep apnea,
In identifying respiratory problems,

In the situations mentioned above, the use of the oximeter is necessary. There are different types of oximeters, namely:

Finger-type oximeter,
Handheld oximeter,
Wrist-type oximeter,
Console-type oximeter,

The names of the types of oximeters also indicate their field of use. Although they all perform the same function, the places where they are used differ. The doctor decides which type of oximeter is suitable for each patient.

Are there any risks in using the oximeter?

Research conducted so far shows that this test has not caused any harm to patients. However, the adhesives on the device may cause irritation or allergies in people with sensitive skin.

What should the blood oxygen level be?

The blood oxygen level is expressed as SpO2. This value indicates how efficiently the inhaled oxygen is transported through the blood to other parts of the body. In a healthy person, the SpO2 value should be between 95% and 100%. As long as the value does not drop below 80%, there is no vital danger, but it is not desirable for any patient to have values below 90%.