by Willow Support & Polyclinic Dr. Obads
Holter Services
Pulse oximetry testing
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive test that measures the oxygen saturation level of your blood. It provides crucial information about how well oxygen is being transported to the parts of your body furthest from your heart, such as your arms and legs.
It is a valuable tool for quickly and accurately assessing oxygen levels in the blood, helping healthcare providers make informed decisions about diagnosis and treatment.
Main purposes of pulse oximetry tests:
Use of pulse oximetry tests
Monitoring Oxygen Levels: It helps monitor the oxygen levels in patients with conditions that affect blood oxygen levels, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, anaemia, heart attack, heart failure, and congenital heart disease.
Assessing Treatment Effectiveness: Doctors use it to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments such as supplemental oxygen therapy or ventilators.
Detecting Hypoxemia: It quickly detects hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), which can be critical in emergency situations.
Pre-Surgical and Post-Surgical Monitoring: It monitors oxygen levels during and after surgical procedures that require sedation.
Evaluating Physical Activity: It assesses how well a patient tolerates increased physical activity and whether they need supplemental oxygen during exercise.
Sleep Studies: It is used in sleep studies to evaluate conditions like sleep apnea, where breathing may stop momentarily during sleep
Attachment: The pulse oximeter is a small, clip-like device that is typically attached to a finger, toe, or earlobe. It uses light beams to measure the oxygen saturation of the blood.
Procedure: The device emits light through the blood in the finger (or other attachment site) and measures changes in light absorption in oxygenated or deoxygenated blood. This process is painless and quick.
Readings: The device reads the oxygen saturation level (SpO2) and pulse rate within seconds. Normal readings usually range from 95% to 100%.
Continuous Monitoring: In critical care settings, the pulse oximeter may remain attached to continuously monitor oxygen levels, especially in patients with unstable oxygenation.
Home Use: Some patients, especially those with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions, use pulse oximeters at home to monitor their oxygen levels.
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