By TradeIndia Team in Business Tips — 02 Jul 2022

7 Amazing Benefits of Pulse Oximeter

What do you mean by pulse oximetry?

First, let us understand what is pulse oximetry. Pulse oximetry can be defined as the measure of how much oxygen is present in the blood or the oxygen saturation level. Pulse oximetry is beneficial for people with respiratory or cardiovascular issues, people having oxygen, and very young infants. Every cell and organ in the human body requires oxygen to survive. If cells don’t get oxygen, cells will not function properly and will eventually die. Due to this, there might be severe symptoms that ultimately lead to organ failure. Oxygen is carried to the organs by the body by filtering it through the lungs. After that, the lungs distribute oxygen into the blood through hemoglobin proteins in red blood cells. These proteins give oxygen to the entire body. Pulse oximetry measures how much percentage of oxygen is present in hemoglobin proteins, known as oxygen saturation. Oxygen saturation shows how much oxygen is been received by the organs. The normal oxygen saturation levels range between 95 and 100 percent. When oxygen saturation levels go below 90 percent, it is considered abnormal and can be taken as a clinical emergency.

What are Pulse Oximeters?

Pulse oximeters can be defined as clip-on devices which measure oxygen saturation. The oximeter may be clipped onto a finger, a foot, a wrist, or any other part of the body where the device can read blood flow.

Oxygen saturation in a person can drop for many reasons such as:

Choking
Suffocation
Drowning
Inhaling poisonous chemicals
Diseases, such as emphysema, lung infections, and lung cancer
Infections, such as pneumonia
Heart failure or a history of heart attacks
General anesthesia
Allergic reactions
Sleep apnea

Pulse oximeters shed light through a transparent part of the skin. The light comes out of the detector which is placed on the other side of the skin. A pulse oximeter is attached onto a finger. One side of it gives out the light and the other side detects it.

Oxygen saturation is measured by the amount of light which is absorbed by the blood. Oxygen saturation is measured by a pulse oximeter by using a complex equation and other data.

Top 7 benefits of Pulse Oximeter

People suffering from oxygen saturation complications can use pulse oximeters. If a person is suffering from sleep apnea or severe snoring, then a doctor might suggest to monitor the nighttime oxygen saturation level by using a pulse oximeter.
Medical specialists use pulse oximetry in order to determine the safety of physical activity of persons having cardiovascular or respiratory issues. They may suggest the person to wear a pulse oximeter while doing physical workouts.
Pulse oximeter is used to signal extremely low oxygen levels, particularly in newborns.
Pulse oximeters are used in people under anesthesia to determine the oxygen saturation levels.
Pulse oximeters are used to give red flags in people who are taking drugs and who might suffer from breathing issues or oxygen saturation level issues.
Pulse oximeter is used to examine the need for supplemental oxygen.
Pulse oximeter is used to monitor oxygen saturation over time.

Nowadays, pulse oximeters are easily available online. So, people can use them without any risk factors.

There are some companies that market pulse oximeters to parents of young infants. These devices give peace of mind to parents who are worried about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sleeping accidents. But no research supports the claim that pulse oximetry can prevent SIDS or accidents.

The Demand for Pulse Oximeters

Initially, pulse oximeters were used in emergency rooms or hospitals during critical conditions. But nowadays, it is found in almost every household in urban areas. The reason behind this is Covid- 19. A premium-quality oximeter can be useful in detecting the early symptoms of Covid- 19. When the virus is detected earlier, the patient gets enough time to take proper medical treatment without wasting any time.

Till the year 2019, pulse oximeters were used only by the health workers. After the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020, there has been an upsurge in the sales of digital pulse oximeters. The global market demand for pulse oximeters stood at $2.3 billion in 2020 and it is expected to rise at a rate of 6.4% in the next seven years.

Things to know about Pulse Oximetry

There are no serious risks involved in using pulse oximetry. Some people might experience minor skin irritations such as skin redness and sensitivity in that area where the pulse oximeter was clipped on. If the pulse oximeter is fitted very tightly and is used for a very long duration, then there are chances of oxygen being cut off from the nearby vessels. If a person experiences numbness, tingling, or changes in skin color, then he/she should immediately inform the doctor.

The main risk of pulse oximetry is that it might indicate a false reading. Only when the pulse oximeters are fitted correctly, do they show an accurate reading. Any minute changes in the placement of the pulse oximeter can produce an inaccurate reading. The device may become loose if a person rolls over in their sleep, thus causing it to give a false reading.

Oxygen saturation may also fall for a few small periods due to other factors such as a change in sleeping position or when the breath is held for a few moments. A pulse oximeter indicates an alert even when the drop is temporary and harmless.

People having health anxiety may unnecessarily worry if the doctors have not made them understand the role of a pulse oximeter. In contradiction, pulse oximeters can give a false sense of security and peace of mind. Pulse oximeters do not give red flags for all possible oxygen issues, and it does serve as a replacement for other forms of monitoring.

People who use pulse oximeters must discuss the risks with a doctor and should keep a record of the readings over time. If there are changes in readings due to environmental factors, then it sometimes indicates a health problem.

People who want to use consumer-grade pulse oximeters must discuss their plans with a doctor before purchasing the device.

Medical Conditions where a Pulse Oximeter is used

It is advisable to keep an oximeter handy if someone is suffering from the below-mentioned medical ailments.

Anemia
Pneumonia
Asthma
Heart attack
COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary
Lung cancer
Congenital heart defects

Disadvantages of Pulse Oximeter

Some factors can reduce the effectiveness of a pulse oximeter reading. They are:

When there is a change in the pulse
When there is carbon monoxide poisoning, it may not indicate an alert in a pulse oximeter.
Due to bilirubin levels
Due to lipids in blood pressure
When there is an interference from external light or color, including nail polish
Persons having cold hands or poor circulation

People using pulse oximeters for monitoring oxygen saturation should not depend on the oximeter as a substitute for subjective experience.

People who experience difficulty in breathing, dizziness, shortness of breath, or other signs of possible oxygen deprivation must immediately consult their doctors for advice.

Some Uses of Pulse Oximeter

Some common uses of pulse oximeter are:

In persons suffering from Asthma, oximeters can detect whether that person needs help in breathing.
It is used to check whether a ventilator is working properly on improving the patient’s oxygen or not.
It is used to monitor whether a new medication is functioning in lung patients.
During surgeries, the patient needs to be sedated. In such cases, a pulse oximeter is used to monitor the oxygen level.
Pulse oximeters are used while trying a new oxygen therapy treatment.

List of Best Oximeter Manufacturers

There are several oximeter manufacturers in the market. Let us find out the top 10 oximeter manufacturers in India.

Dr. Trust Signature Series Fingertip Pulse Oximeter ( Midnight Black ) - 201
Hesley Pulse Oximeter Fingertip
Beurer P030 Pulse Oximeter, Blood Oxygen Saturation & Heart Rate Monitor
HealthSense Accu-Beat FP 910
BPL Medical Technologies Smart Oxy Fingertip Pulse Oximeter (Black)
Dr. Odin Pulse Oximeter Fingertip +PIFS20E, with Pulse Sound OLED Display
Tamizhanda P-01 Pulse Oximeter
MediWeave Fingertip Pulse Oximeter
BPL Medical Technologies Pulse
Choicemmed MD300C29 Dual Color

The above list of pulse oximeter manufacturers will benefit the readers of this article who are looking for the same.

Conclusion

Pulse oximeters are vital medical devices. Therefore, one should select the appropriate one. With several finger pulse oximeter manufacturers in the market, it becomes confusing as to which one to select. But some criteria assist in choosing the correct one such as specifications & features, pricing, warranty, service quality, customer reviews, and complaints.