Why a pulse oximeter can saves lives

Dec 15
09:29

2010

Jacob  Walters

Jacob Walters

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Saving lives with the use of a pulse oximeter.

mediaimage

One of the most common conditions in today’s society is cardiac issues. These cardiac ailments vary across the spectrum as individuals have different conditions that require close monitoring. One of these conditions is actually heart arrhythmia which affects many individuals throughout our society. The main medical issue with heart arrhythmia is that an individual will experience an abnormal heart rhythm and thus their heart will not be functioning properly. This in turn will have a huge impact on the ability of individuals to be able to live their healthy lives and they are constantly in fear that the heart condition may actually escalate to abnormal levels that may cause more serious conditions and even death. A device was always necessary in order to monitor the heart and the pulse rate in order to determine whether it is functioning properly. In the situation of those individuals with heart arrhythmia they need to in particular monitor their pulse rate to make sure that it is beating normally and thus that they will not have any heart complication that may occur due to the condition. A pulse oximeter is such a device that can help save the lives of these individuals. The device also provides measurement of perfusion index which in fact shows the strength of the pulse rate and thus allows for close monitoring of the heart in order to ensure that it is functioning properly and at optimal levels. Such a device will help prevent more serious heart issues that may occur by giving individuals the ability to monitor themselves. 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.