I remember when we were caring for my dad, we were coached to take his blood O2 level when he seemed lethargic. If his O2 saturation was below 90%, then we gave him a nebulizer treatment with albuterol which was prescribed by his personal care physician.
Belladonna (an RN) chimed in that any O2 saturation measurement below 89% was an issue and warranted a trip to the doctor (or doc-in-a-box). It isn't necessarily an emergency but that it needed looking into.
My personal belief is that one of these O2 Pulse Oximeter monitors is a basic home-medical device right up there with a thermometer. Objective measurements takes the guesswork out of knowing when to escalate an issue.
I sent our Fingertip Pulse Oximeter to the person who was not able to attend and ordered a replacement unit. I don't expect the device to come back.
Comments from my readers who have medical training will be appreciated. It is not my intention to spread misinformation.
I have no medical training but I will say that we have two of those in the house and it will tell you if you Do have a problem, but more important to me is it tells me if I Don't have a problem So Calm Down. ---ken
ReplyDeleteThe pulse-ox devices are certainly in reach price-wise, and a great front-line rough diagnostic tool, like the thermometer ERJ mentioned. I can tell when my blood pressure is out of sight, but having the BP cuff is handy for a rough measure, as is the pulse-ox device, when either of us (of a certain age) is out of sorts. Saves the panic mode.... Definitely good to have around, and the batteries seem to last years (at least in ours).
ReplyDeleteERJ - My only concern in getting a device (thinking BP Cuff in this case) is that given my problem with fixation, it would become a thing that would come to dominate my thinking. It did so for my father.
ReplyDeleteAs a frontline tool? Quite likely. But that is where it would make the most sense.
These are inexpensive and more than accurate enough for home use. O2 saturation is an important indicator of pulmonary function and a marker for when to seek professional help. Well worth having and using. They aren't complicated or difficult to use and most use common batteries. The only proviso is to store them without batteries installed to keep them from being damaged if not used regularly.
ReplyDeleteI use the BP cuff and the Pulse Oximeter on my MIL. Has helped us know when low BP is causing lethargy. Believe it or not usually we find she is not getting enough salt due to enteral feeding. A liquid IV packet perks her right up.
ReplyDeleteA fingertip pulse ox unit is fairly cheap and in my experience the batteries in it last for years. Looking at my unit, I'd need a really small screwdriver to open it up to remove the batteries for replacement.
ReplyDeleteBelladonna is correct an O2 sat of 90 plus is acceptable but again people are different as if my sats are around 92 I feel poorly.
My wife checks both of our O2 sats every morning as both of us have had blood clots and an embolus in the lungs is often first noted by lethargy and LOW O2 sats. Early detection is easier to resolve with various clot dissolving drugs like Heparin.
I have a pretty serious medical kit at home being EMS but I've not used my Blood Pressure cuff in years. Thermometer and pulse ox often as needed.