Monday, June 16, 2014

The Crucial Applications Of Wrist Pulse Oximeters

By Marci Glover


Traditionally, oxygen saturation was measured invasely by drawing samples of blood. Oxygen saturation is simply the measure of the level of oxyhaemoglobing in the blood. The measure is especially important as it alerts on the level of blood oxygenation. The traditional means of measurement was inefficient as it was unable to equip clinicians with real time measurements. This ineffectiveness prompted the innovation of wrist pulse oximeters.

A pulse oximeter merely implies a device which non-invasively determines the blood oxygenation in arteries and the pulse rate. The method enhances clinic officials to ascertain the oxygen saturation, particularly in patients that are unconscious, sedated, unaesthetic and unable to control own oxygen supply. It prevents irreversible tissue supply and is widely applied in hospitals, surgical rooms, and medical clinics and in homes.

Their medical application ranges from people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to patients suffering from asthma, emphysema and other such diseases and conditions. As a preventive device, it is used by pilots and mountain climbers of high altitudes to guard against hypoxia. Athletes, while training in higher altitudes, utilize wrist Oximeters because the oxygen level decline can increase the red blood cells and thus increasing his endurance.

Wrist oximeters offer a wide range of benefits. The device is relatively mobile and do not need an external source of power. They are simply attached to the wrist, making them more portable for the user that requires continued monitoring. In addition, they are lightweight and do not have long cable that could otherwise be caught or tangled when in use.

The gadgets are not only simple, but also easy to operate. Operating them does not entail any skill or technical know how. However, the practice of data transfer involves minor technical know-how. These instruments are also simple to read. Their display is robust that makes viewing oxygen saturation easier as opposed to the relatively compact finger pulse meter. All units incorporate a signal quality indicator along with them on the display.

In terms of affordability, the wrist based meters are fairly priced. Their mid-prices make them relatively cheap compared to their handheld and finger counterparts. Also, they can be applied by virtually all age groups, both adults and pediatric. Selecting a particular device depends on the size of your finger and your unit ability to withstand various sizes and types.

The equipment also offers data storage. They are capable of keeping data and being programmed to provide readings within set time frames to facilitate for the reading of saturation levels. They record extensive oxygen and heart rate data and require software to enable them to download and make reports on computers installed with windows.

These facilities may however not be well adapted in all avenues. For example, their lack of alarms makes them only suitable in sleep screening. However, where the services of the alarm are required, they are of little help. They also offer spot checking but may not be ideal when spot checking is the primary concern.




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