About Pulse Oximeter
Medics use a pulse oximeter for measuring the saturation of oxygen in blood. The acceptable percentage of oxygen is from 95% to 100%. The oximeter is widely used for measuring blood oxygenation since it is nonintrusive as medics are not required to draw blood from the patient to measure oxygen levels. In most medical facilities, pulse oximeters are attached to monitors in order to provide continuous monitoring of the patients’ oxygen levels.
A pair of light emitting diodes makes up the sensing unit of the oximeter. One of the diodes emits a red light and the other emits an infrared light. A clip holds one light on either side, and is attached to a translucent body part, usually a fingertip or an earlobe. The diodes then send pulses of light, which are absorbed at varying rates, depending on whether the blood is oxygenated or deoxygenated.
The pulse oximeter makes use of fixed ratio in order to determine the blood oxygenation percentage. The oximeter only measures the oxygen levels in blood, disregarding skin tissues, since the wavelengths from the light respond directly to the pulse. The arterial walls expand and contract as the heart beats, which the light responds from. Due to this, the patient must have a perceptible pulse in order for the oximeter to work properly. Thus, the clip must not slip out of place during monitoring.
There are some instances where oximeters do not function properly. A patient with problems on the circulatory system may have irregular or imperceptible pulse rate, rendering oximeters useless. Another is a brightly lit room, where the device may receive inaccurate readings due to the irregularity of the ambient light. Finally, a patient undergone shock or is shivering uncontrollably can interfere oximeters and provide wrong readings.
Hospitals and other facilities use pulse oximeters in a lot of situations. Pulse oximeters monitor patients during surgery and recovery, as well as in intensive care and other emergency states. They are valuable pieces of medical device that provide a constant stream of data and information for medical personnel. Usually, a pulse oximeter delivers digital figures of the percentage of oxygenation in the blood, as well as a highly audible sound that signifies the heartbeat or the pulse of the patient.<span style=”font-size: 11pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;background-color: transparent;font-weight: normal;font-style: normal;text-decoration: none;vertical-align: baseline”></span>
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