A Pulse Oximeter is medical device used for checking blood oxygen saturation levels . A recent NHS England publication lays out a framework for remote support of COVID-19 patients using pulse oximetry.
Pulse oximetry could soon be widely used to detect early deterioration of patients with COVID-19 in a community setting or at home. It has the potential to pick up early warning signs of those at risk of serious deterioration and is particularly useful for identifying ‘silent hypoxia’ (low oxygen levels in the absence of significant shortness of breath).
What are normal oxygen levels ?
A normal oxygen level in the blood is somewhere between 95% and 100%, however with COVID-19 patients levels can fall dangerously low, sometimes as low as 70-80% . A pulse oximeter can be placed on your middle finger , and a small light is shone into the body to measures how much light is absorbed.This is then used to calculate oxygen levels in the blood.
For some areas in England, pulse oximeters are being given to people with Covid-19 who are age 65 or over or anyone doctors are concerned about.
Why oxygen levels in the blood can drop without you noticing.
This is called "silent hypoxia". Many patients have been arriving to hospital in a much worse condition than they have maybe realised, and on occasion it has been too late to treat well. Pulse oximetry could be a life-saving solution which allows you to monitor your oxygen levels a few time a day at home. Even better, it is a low cost solution.
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Check out the NHS video below to find out more about pulse oximetry monitoring for COVID-19