How do Nurses use a pulse oximeter to help pediatric patients

Dec 28
08:35

2010

Jacob  Walters

Jacob Walters

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Nurses are using pulse oximeter technology to help patients.

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Nurses is such an important segment of our health care community and in fact without them it is quite doubtful that the entire process of health care would function. They have very specialized knowledge in the field but that not only covers basic general knowledge but they also have specific knowledge about a wide range of disorders and conditions. Their training is quite rigorous as the physicians and patients that they serve really have quite a wide variety of health issues that they need to deal with. One of the biggest issues with the nursing profession was always the fact that these individuals needed medical devices that would monitor the health of patients that were extremely portable. The portability factor really comes into play with these nurses as they are needing to go from one room to another in order to assist patients who have a wide variety of conditions that need attention. A recent development in the field of medical device technology that has truly transformed the whole concept of portability is the portable pulse oximeter device. A true transformation of the former devices that were first in the military and then they moved into the hospital scene. The original devices were very large and actually were only moved or portable in a very difficult manner that required them to be actually physically picked up and transformed. Then there were a lot of innovations in microchip technology that in essence changed the landscape of the whole situation. These microchips allowed the manufacturers of pulse oximeter devices to build them in such a manner as to make them smaller so that they could be taken everywhere. This truly helped nurses so that they can take the device with them seamlessly without having to worry about any wires or cables. Nurses can now help pediatric patients with various health conditions with their pulse oximeter and help treat them in whatever their needs are. A pulse oximeter works quite effectively to measure the pulse rate as well as the blood oxygen saturation of an individual The device is only a fraction of the size of a typical cell phone and thus it is extremely portable. It also is very accurate and instantly gives a reading of the oxygen saturation as well as pulse rate within seconds. By inserting your finger inside the portable device an infrared light passes through you finger. Hemoglobin absorbs light at different frequencies and as such the infrared light that goes through the finger bounces back to the oximeter device computer with a number that represents the oxygen levels of the body. This number means the world to people who live with conditions that require accurate monitoring of the oxygen levels in the body. Oximeter devices continue to break ground not only in the hospital setting but also the home setting as well. No longer do individuals need to be at their physician’s office or a hospital in order to take advantage of such a device to monitor their health. The newest generations of devices are not only extremely small and portable but they also are extremely affordable. So individuals living with various health conditions that are necessary to measure their oxygen levels can now use the device in the comfort of their home without ever having to worry about not monitoring their health on a continuous basis. The portability also allows them to take the device wherever they desire to go.