Does Finger Pulse Oximeters Show Accurate Reading?
After the pandemic hit us, we became familiar with some of the medical equipment related to this disease. Pulse oximeters are such equipment which was used by almost every person during the pandemic. This small equipment helps to monitor your oxygen saturation level in the blood which was very important back then because people were closely monitoring their oxygen saturation level to avoid that lethal disease. Now also, we are quite used to that routine. Also, people who have elderly people or sick people at home keep this kind of equipment for health monitoring. Now, the most important question is “Do finger pulse oximeters show accurate reading?” Check out the facts.
Does Finger Pulse Oximeters Show Accurate Reading?
Finger Pulse Oximeters are a common medical equipment which most of us have seen or used. Some keep this article handy at their home for frequent monitoring and some have seen it during medical checkups. But, you might be interested to know if the reading of this equipment is correct or not.
When your oxygen saturation level in the blood is between 90 to 100%, the results shown by an oximeter are believed to be the most accurate. However, if the oxygen saturation level in the blood decreases, then the accuracy might be affected. The device will struggle to produce the correct situation level in such scenarios. If the saturation level is below 80%, then the accuracy decreases further.
If we assume the accurate reading of the pulse oximeters, we can say that it can produce results which might vary from 2 to 4% from the actual oxygen saturation level. The better the equipment you use, the least will be the variations in the results. We at Medguard Professional Healthcare Supplies always ask our clients to choose the best oximeters for themselves from our varied product range which ensures a lower level of variations in results which means the most accurate reading. Still, some factors influence the reading of a pulse oximeter.
What Factors Influence the Results of a Pulse Oximeter?
As we have already mentioned, the result of a finger pulse oximeter might vary from 2 to 4% of the actual oxygen saturation level in the blood. Several factors might influence these variations.
- Health Conditions
If you have any health condition such as hypoxemia, anemia, lower blood pressure issues, carbon monoxide poisoning etc. the pulse oximeter cannot produce accurate saturation information which might lead to false readings. For example, people suffering from hypoxia have low blood oxygen levels and the machine cannot produce exact results in this case. Similar things apply to patients with anaemia and low BP patients. Pulse oximeters also cannot differentiate between carboxyhemoglobin and oxygenated haemoglobin. That’s why it can’t work properly for patients suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. People suffering from poor peripheral circulation like peripheral artery disease, diabetes, or cold extremities, cannot get accurate results using the oximeter.
- Physical Factors
Some physical factors also influence the reading of a pulse oximeter. If you have skin pigmentation issues, your pulse oximeter readings might vary. It is seen that people with dark skin are not getting accurate results using the oximeter because the melanin present in their skin absorbs light which affects the result and vice versa. Also, finger pulse oximeters cannot give exact results when you wear nail polish or you have artificial nails.
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