Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Uses And Functions Of A Wrist Pulse Oximeter

By Harriett Crosby


The wrist pulse oximeter is a device that is used to find out the levels of oxygen in a person's blood at any time of the day or night, and is ideal for personal use. It also measures the heart rate of a patient. These facts sometimes need to be known for various reasons that relate to someone's health.

Oximeters are equipment with various designs, and mostly they are found in large health institutions, such as hospitals. Nurses and doctors will use them in the critical care units and in the emergency department of the facility; and possibly in other areas as well. However, people also need the device outside of a hospital, and this is why they have been created in the form of a wristwatch. They will be needed when someone is in danger of their oxygen levels falling below an acceptable range.

Wristwatch oximeters are not cumbersome in any way, and have all the features of a hospital's unit. They have a memory of possibly up to eighty hours, which means that every reading can be stored. However, when the memory is full, the information must first be deleted or transferred before the device will work again. These wristwatch devices have been approved for usage by the FDA.

Persons who would like to monitor their heart rates and their oxygen levels at home, while they study or while they sleep, will find these devices ideal. Persons who would like to monitor their asthmatic condition may consider using them as well. Oximeters, including the wristwatch variety, have a non-invasive probe that produces red and infrared light. They are usually shined onto a finger, toe or earlobe.

Although a large amount of the light is taken in by body tissue, the bit that is not will show the hemoglobin saturation levels. The reading is shown in a percentage, and a healthy level of oxygen is indicated at between ninety-five and ninety-eight percent. It is still fine if the level of oxygen reaches as low as ninety percent, but below this level the patient will need to receive oxygen for respiratory distress relief. The body's cells are unable to function properly when oxygen levels are this low.

There are certain ways that someone's oxygen levels should be measured with oximeters to ensure that the device's readings are more accurate. Firstly, oximeters can only work when the pulse of the patient can be easily detected, and is strong. The reading will not be accurate with a weaker heart rate, and for patients with irregular heartbeats.

It is not recommended to use oximeters under strong lights, and the patient will have to be as still as possible when the reading is taken. Movement, as well as bright lights, could cause the device to give an unreliable percentage. Since that a few factors could cause discrepancies, a sole reading is insufficient.

Computer programs will need to be purchased along with the wrist pulse oximeter, but they are easy to find. The long battery life and the fact that they can be used even whilst wearing nail polish are additional advantages. They will also have a guarantee of quality.




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