Oximeter
Ever heard of an oximeter? If you have a lung or heart condition, you may use one periodically at home to monitor your condition. Or, maybe you've had one clipped to your finger during a trip the ER or while in the hospital.
Regardless of your past familiarity with them, you may have noticed lately that pulse oximeters are popping up in the news and your social feeds, in conversation with friends and family and, if you're like me, your CVS receipt full of coupons — all because of COVID-19. (Related: Can Your Fitness Tracker Help Warn That You Have COVID-19?)
To get the scoop on pulse oximeters and whether they can actually help detect COVID-19, we spoke to Dr. Tim Connolly, pulmonologist at Houston Methodist.
Why might I need pulse oximetry?
Pulse oximetry may be used to see if there is enough oxygen in the blood. This information is needed in many kinds of situations. It may be used:
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During or after surgery or procedures that use sedation
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To see how well lung medicines are working
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To check a person’s ability to handle increased activity levels
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To see if a ventilator is needed to help with breathing, or to see how well it’s working
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To check a person has moments when breathing stops during sleep (sleep apnea)
LED Oximeter
TFT Oximeter
OLED Oximeter
