Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Things To Know About Recording Pulse Oximeter

By Annabelle Holman


Pulse oximetery is useful for recording two essential pieces of data from patients. The rate of the heart beat and the level of saturation of oxygen in blood are the two pieces of date captured. Since there is no penetration of the body of the patient, the method is referred to as non-invasive. A recording pulse oximeter makes it easier to determine the level of effectiveness of therapy in patients under CPAP therapy for apnea.

According to research blood oxygen percentage drops at night when apnea activities are taking place. Oximeters with recording functionalities can record such drops for use in comparing with previous recordings. Variations in the comparisons can be based on to determine the efficiency of therapy. Additional features in oximeters with recording capabilities make it worthwhile to own one of these devices. For instance, one can determine their heart rate and saturation of oxygen in blood on the spot.

Being able to check the 2 parameters on the spot helps in determining how normal brain functions are affected by changes in height and air pressure. People involved in strenuous activities like exercising normally want to know the rates of their heart and blood O2 saturation. Buyers should check for the features discussed below before buying an oximeter.

The first factor to consider is the display the device has. Ordinary devices will normally show only two pieces of information, the heart rate and blood O2 concentration in LED display. However, in more advanced devices, additional information may be displayed in a better display. The additional information may include perfusion index, pulse meter, pulse waveform, battery level indicator, and various menus. The menus open different functions depending on the model of the device.

A good device should also have the alarm function. Alarm function is important in warning the patient when certain threshold values have been reached. Normally the user has the freedom of setting their own threshold. The user can therefore be warned when their heart beat or blood oxygen concentration rises or falls below a given pre-determined level. Another alarm function is for warning the user when the battery level falls below a certain level.

Oximeters may have one of the two major kinds of batteries. The major battery types in use today are the standard alkaline and rechargeable lithium ion. The lithium ion type can be recharged by electricity when it gets discharged. Because of this, lithium ion batteries are considered cost effective and durable unlike the un-rechargeable alkaline types. Both alkaline and lithium ion batteries can be used in some models of oximeters. This allows users some level of flexibility in their choices.

Comfort is a factor that must never be overlooked. A good gadget is one that allows some level of comfort to the user. Although most clip-based designs are placed on the finger, one should ensure that they are comfortable even after hours of using the gadget. If there is any form of discomfort, the fingers can always be switched.

Extra functionalities can be checked after one ensures that all important functions are present. A device that can wirelessly have all real time values transmitted to the computer on which the software that accompanies the oximeter is installed is better off. Third parties like caregivers can gain from such capabilities.




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