Pulse Oximeter is a kind of medical test performed to examine the level of oxygen, i.e., oxygen saturation in the blood of an individual. It is an easy and painless method to measure how well oxygen is supplied to the body parts by the heart. It is considered a quick and inexpensive needle-free test. For performing Pulse Oximetry, an electronic instrument known as a pulse oximeter (pulse Ox) is used which is non-invasive. It uses a spectrophotometric methodology to calculate the oxygen count in the blood of an individual.

There are many options available both online in the form of websites and offline to purchase pulse oximeters (pulse Ox). One of them is 'ahpmedicals' which is a medical supplies website, selling a wide variety of medical equipment and other items including pulse oximeters at cheap and affordable prices with exclusive discounts. It also offers the facility of delivery to the desired location of the customers at minimal shipping costs.

Purpose & Uses of Pulse Oximeter

The sole purpose of Pulse Oximeter is to measure the level of oxygen, i.e., oxygen saturation in the blood. It uses arterial blood for the measurement and signifies if the blood is well-oxygenated or not. Many medical practitioners use pulse oximeters for monitoring the health of people suffering from blood-related ailments such as high or low blood oxygen levels, asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, anemia, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and many more.

There are also several other reasons for which pulse oximeter is used - to assess the working of a new lung medication, to evaluate the ventilators, to check oxygen levels during or after the surgeries involving sedation, to assess a person's ability to stand with excess physical activities and to evaluate if someone stops breathing while sleeping in case of sleep apnea.

How to take a reading using Pulse Oximeter?

Generally, the pulse oximeter is used in hospitals but in some cases, it is also recommended by doctors for home use. It contains an electronic processor with small light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It uses the method of spectrophotometry for determining the proportion of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, termed as oxygenated hemoglobin or oxyhemoglobin. Actually, some small beams of light pass through the blood in the fingers during this process and measure the amount of oxygen. According to the British Lung Foundation, pulse oximeters measure the changes in light absorption in both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

For using the pulse oximeter, it's necessary to learn about how to take a reading using it. The procedure of taking a reading is so simple as mentioned below:

Gently place the device on the finger, earlobe, or toe and keep it for as long as it monitors the pulse and oxygen saturation in the blood. Once the test is over, remove the device and read the values displayed on it.

Things to take care of while taking a reading using a Pulse Oximeter

While taking a reading with the help of pulse oximeters, one should take care of the following things :

  1. Remove any kind of jewelry item or nail polish on the finger before putting it on the device.
  2. Clean your earlobes properly and make sure no dust is there.
  3. Make sure the hand is warm and relaxed.
  4. Make sure the heart level is normal while attaching the body part to the device.
  5. Don't shake the finger while and after attaching it to the device.
  6. Don't panic, as it's a painless procedure and would not affect the body in any case.

Different types of pulse oximeters

There are so many kinds of pulse oximeters available on 'ahpmedicals' categorized based on quality, quantity, and other factors. Some of them are as follows :

1) Finger Pulse Oximeters - Its samples are Fingertip Silicone Drop Proof Pulse Oximeter, Jumper Pulse Oximeter, Guardian Finger Reading Pulse Oximeter, etc.

2) Hand-Held Pulse Oximeters - Its samples are Smartsigns LitePlus Pulse Oximeter, Nonin Palmsat 2500 Handheld Pulse Oximeter, etc.

3) Wrist Pulse Oximeters - Its samples are 300W1 Wrist Pulse Oximeter, Minolta Pulsox 300i Pulse Oximeter, etc.

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