Manufacturers of pulse oximeters are currently many and each claims that their products are the best in the market. These claims make it very hard to select the right product for personal use. This becomes even harder if one has no idea about the features the device should have. This article contains useful information concerning the features to ensure are available in CMS pulse oximeters before buying.
A pulse oximetry gadget becomes useful in a wide range of circumstances and reasons. The immediacy of checking heart rate and blood oxygen concentration is one of the major reasons. Checking these two parameters is vital especially when one is exercising or when flying because the normal functioning of brain is affected in some people by changes in air pressure and altitude. Efficiency of CPAP therapy in patients with sleep apnea can also be determined by wearing the device at night when going to bed.
Checking for recording capability in a device should be the first thing. Devices with recording capability keep a record of values measured over time. Comparisons can therefore be done over a given time frame. An analysis of the recordings should tell when at night apnea activities occur. This is possible because, during apnea activities, oxygen levels in blood drop and heart rates increase.
Another factor to check is the accuracy of the device. Normally most devices allow a certain level of error in their readings. The error margin is normally highest in the low-end devices hence one should make the choice carefully. The margin should not exceed two percent. To determine the level of accuracy, one may have the heart rate and blood O2 saturation measured through other means and then the values compared to those of an oximeter.
One should also check for the kind of display the device uses and the details displayed. Low-end devices normally use the ordinary LED display and only display the two parameters the gadget is meant for without additional information. Better devices use better displays and also display pulse waveform, battery level indicator, menus, pulse meter, and perfusion index value in addition to the two parameters.
The gadget chosen should allow the user to set threshold values for the two parameters. Devices with this capability also incorporate alarm systems for alerting the user when the values of the two parameters go below or above the threshold. This way, preventive measures can be taken to avoid serious conditions if the patient under medical care. Alarms also warn when battery levels fall below a certain percentage.
A reasonable warranty period should accompany the oximeter purchased. Warranties normally last at least two years for these products. One should seek other options if the warranty does not run for at least two years especially in the high-end models. This protects the buyer from the negligence of the manufacturer.
One should avoid purchasing products that use rechargeable lithium ion batteries yet have stayed on the shelves for more than a year at the instance of purchase. This is because lithium ion batteries get damaged when they discharge over a very long period. A better way would be to choose products in which both rechargeable and standard alkaline batteries can be used.
A pulse oximetry gadget becomes useful in a wide range of circumstances and reasons. The immediacy of checking heart rate and blood oxygen concentration is one of the major reasons. Checking these two parameters is vital especially when one is exercising or when flying because the normal functioning of brain is affected in some people by changes in air pressure and altitude. Efficiency of CPAP therapy in patients with sleep apnea can also be determined by wearing the device at night when going to bed.
Checking for recording capability in a device should be the first thing. Devices with recording capability keep a record of values measured over time. Comparisons can therefore be done over a given time frame. An analysis of the recordings should tell when at night apnea activities occur. This is possible because, during apnea activities, oxygen levels in blood drop and heart rates increase.
Another factor to check is the accuracy of the device. Normally most devices allow a certain level of error in their readings. The error margin is normally highest in the low-end devices hence one should make the choice carefully. The margin should not exceed two percent. To determine the level of accuracy, one may have the heart rate and blood O2 saturation measured through other means and then the values compared to those of an oximeter.
One should also check for the kind of display the device uses and the details displayed. Low-end devices normally use the ordinary LED display and only display the two parameters the gadget is meant for without additional information. Better devices use better displays and also display pulse waveform, battery level indicator, menus, pulse meter, and perfusion index value in addition to the two parameters.
The gadget chosen should allow the user to set threshold values for the two parameters. Devices with this capability also incorporate alarm systems for alerting the user when the values of the two parameters go below or above the threshold. This way, preventive measures can be taken to avoid serious conditions if the patient under medical care. Alarms also warn when battery levels fall below a certain percentage.
A reasonable warranty period should accompany the oximeter purchased. Warranties normally last at least two years for these products. One should seek other options if the warranty does not run for at least two years especially in the high-end models. This protects the buyer from the negligence of the manufacturer.
One should avoid purchasing products that use rechargeable lithium ion batteries yet have stayed on the shelves for more than a year at the instance of purchase. This is because lithium ion batteries get damaged when they discharge over a very long period. A better way would be to choose products in which both rechargeable and standard alkaline batteries can be used.
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