Keeping track of oxygen saturation in patients under general anesthesia.Evaluating if supplemental oxygen is necessary.Alerting the healthcare team to critically low oxygen levels, specifically in newborns.Monitoring of oxygen saturation over a period of time.Monitoring of a patient’s oxygen saturation during a stress test. Assessing whether or not a physical activity is safe in patient with respiratory or cardiovascular problems.Providing feedback about the efficacy of breathing interventions and therapies (e.g.Asthma or any type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)īoth patients and healthcare providers can use pulse oximetry in the clinical setting, such as by:.Aside from being used in routine checks, pulse oximeters are mainly used in individuals who have health conditions or under clinical situations that may affect oxygen saturation levels, such as: There are various factors that indicate the use of pulse oximetry. Normal (peripheral) oxygen saturation levels fall between 95 to 100 percent A reading lower than 90 percent is already considered a clinical emergency. The purpose of pulse oximetry is to measure the amount of oxygen found in these hemoglobin proteins, indicating one’s oxygen saturation. Oxygen is then transported into individual cells through a pigment called hemoglobin found in the red blood cells. In a nutshell, oxygen is transported to different parts the body once it is filtered via the lungs. When there is little to no oxygen in the body, our cells will begin to deteriorate, leading to life-threatening symptoms such as organ failure and the body ultimately dies. However, arterial blood gases are usually only taken in critical care or emergency settings.People need oxygen not only to breathe but also to survive. In these cases, an ear lobe pulse oximeter device or arterial blood gases would provide a more accurate oxygen saturation level. Falsely low oxygen saturation levels may be associated with hypothermia, decreased peripheral perfusion, and cold extremities.The inadequate supply of oxygen may be more prominent during activity for people with anemia. However, this may not indicate adequate oxygenation because there are less hemoglobin to carry an adequate supply of oxygen for people who have anemia. Oxygen saturation may remain normal (e.g., 97% and higher) for people with anemia.Additionally, oxygen saturation levels may decrease slightly when a person is talking.With hypercapnia, it is difficult for the pulse oximeter to differentiate oxygen in the blood from carbon monoxide (caused by smoking). Smoking can also influence the accuracy of pulse oximetry in which the the SpO2 is low or falsely high depending on whether hypercapnia is present.People who are obese and/or have conditions such as lung and cardiovascular diseases, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congenital heart disease and sleep apnea tend to have lower oxygen saturation levels. Thus, it is important to understand both baseline readings and underlying physiology associated with certain conditions to interpret oxygen saturation levels and changes in these levels. It is important to note that the oxygen saturation level varies considerably based on a person’s state of health. For example, someone older than 70 years of age may have an oxygen saturation level of about 95%, which is an acceptable level. Older adults typically have lower oxygen saturation levels than younger adults. The normal oxygen saturation level is 97–100% (OER #1). 45 What are Normal Oxygen Saturation Levels?
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