A pulse oximeter is a non-invasive medical device, employed for the sole purpose of measuring the level of oxygen saturation in the blood. Its agility and the detection of even the slightest changes in oxygen levels have made it a very effective and useful medical equipment in the field of medicine.
Many sellers of pulse oximeters such as Pulse oximeters Australia have gained much prominence in the field of medicine following the novel results detected and released by the device. The machine can read and detect how efficiently the blood carries oxygen even to organs in the very recesses ofthe heart including the arms and the legs.
A pulse oximeter is a small clip-like device that is attached to a body part, commonly to a finger. Most medical professionals use the device in cases of critical care settings. But some doctors such as pulmonologists tend to use them even in office settings or even at home. As aforementioned, the basic purpose of an oximeter is to analyze if a patient is well oxygenated. Medical professionals resort to the use of the device in cases where patients have disease conditions or which affect the oxygen level in the blood. Quite often, this includes patients diagnosed with asthma, lung cancer, anaemia, pneumonia, heart attack or heart failure, congenital heart diseases, and various other heart complications. Oximeters are used for a variety of purposes as well. Some of these purposes range from, evaluation of the rate of success of new lung medications, evaluating whether a patient needs assistance when breathing, assessing if a ventilator is helpful, to studying oxygen levels during or after surgeries that need sedation, determining a patient tolerance level towards increasing physical activity
Taking the readings of a pulse oximeter is quite simple and easy. Firstly remove all jewellery, nail polish, or any other paraphernalia from the finger which will be used to clip the oximeter. Thereafter ensure that your hand is warm and relaxed and below your heart level when attaching the device. Place the device on your finger, toe, or earlobe but ensure the previous steps are followed in these locations as well. Keep the device for the required period to monitor the pulse and oxygen saturation. Remove the device after you have run the test. Afterwards, the mechanism of the device is that small beams of light would pass through the blood in the finger which measures the amount of oxygen. Pulse oximeters typically do this by measuring the changes in the light absorption in oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. This process is painless. Afterwards, the oximeter detects the oxygen saturation level alongside the heart rate. Research and statistics point out that, more than 89 percent of blood should be carrying oxygen which is mandatory to keep cells healthy. Usually, a healthy person should have a level of oxygen saturation of about 95%. A percentage below 92% has the potential to indicate a threat of hypoxemia. Having a level of oxygen saturation below this level temporarily is not majorly destructive but repeated lower levels do pose a certain threat.