Importance of Pulse Oximeter
Oxygen is very essential to human life. Without it, a human being will only need a few minutes before he dies. Once we breathe in, we take in oxygen inside our body then it goes straight into our lungs and it will be passed on through our bloodstreams. The oxygen travels inside our body through the hemoglobin through all our blood vessels, and then reaches the small air sacs found inside the blood vessels called the alveoli. Then the oxygenated blood will reach the heart which will pump the blood in different parts of our body.
That is how vital for the people is the oxygen. Without it, our body will collapse, so in order for people to know if our body receives enough oxygen, a device was invented to do this task. This is called the pulse oximeter. This device is a versatile, mobile, non-invasive medical instrument that indirectly measures the oxygen saturation in the blood. As of now, it has become the most convenient replacement to the traditional and old procedure of oximetry which constituted of the need to collect blood samples invasively to perform a list of tests in order to obtain the required results. Through its screen, the oximeter shows the amount of oxygen contained in the blood.
The purpose of the pulse oximeter is to read the amount of oxygen in the body as the finger is placed in the sensor. The device will indicate if supplemental oxygen in the body is lack of it. Parents of children diagnosed with asthma are advised to have a handy oximeter all the time, especially during an arduous activity. If the readings in the oximeter are low then the child musts top with his previous activity and take necessary medications.
The oximeter is also an important item to the elderly. One of the common causes of mortality in the geriatric population is heart disease leading to oxygen deficiency. So the oximeter is one of the standard equipments in nursing homes. It has proven to be useful in getting a non-invasive, yet accurate and continuous reading.
If delayed, oxygen deficiency causes brain damage. It can also affect other vital organs. This is why airway and breathing is the top most priority during resuscitation. A pulse oximeter is always present in ambulances, emergency rooms, operating rooms, or in any health facilities. But there are now portable versions of pulse oximeter that people can take anywhere.
