There are currently many manufacturers of pulse oximeters worldwide today with each claiming to manufacture the best. The many products on the market have made it continuously difficult for buyers to choose the right product. This is so especially if one does not know what to look for in the device. This article provides useful information about the features of CMS pulse oximeters one should look for when 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.
The first feature to check for should be the recording function. This function allows the device to maintain a record of values for the heart rate and oxygen saturation for a given period of time. This is useful when doing comparisons to determine changes in the two parameters. Such records can reveal the time of the night when apnea activities are happening. This is because the heart rate increases while oxygen saturation in blood drops when the activities are taking place.
Another aspect of great importance is the accuracy of values measured and displayed. Most devices allow a given degree of error in their readings. Highest error margins appear more in cheap devices hence one should know. Regardless of the type of product, error margins should not exceed 2 percent. Other means can be used to confirm accuracy of a device.
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.
One should buy a product in which it is possible to set the threshold values for heart rate and O2 saturation percentage. Such capabilities also call for incorporation of an alarm system. Whenever the values fall below or rise above the threshold values, the user in alerted by the alarm. This way, the patient can be prevented from going into serious conditions like commas through taking of preventive measures. The alarms also indicate low battery levels.
The oximeter bought must have a warranty period. Warranties for these products are normally two years or more. When buying a high-end oximeter, avoid settling for those that the warranty does not exceed two years. Warranties provide protection against losses caused by the negligence of producers.
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.
The first feature to check for should be the recording function. This function allows the device to maintain a record of values for the heart rate and oxygen saturation for a given period of time. This is useful when doing comparisons to determine changes in the two parameters. Such records can reveal the time of the night when apnea activities are happening. This is because the heart rate increases while oxygen saturation in blood drops when the activities are taking place.
Another aspect of great importance is the accuracy of values measured and displayed. Most devices allow a given degree of error in their readings. Highest error margins appear more in cheap devices hence one should know. Regardless of the type of product, error margins should not exceed 2 percent. Other means can be used to confirm accuracy of a device.
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.
One should buy a product in which it is possible to set the threshold values for heart rate and O2 saturation percentage. Such capabilities also call for incorporation of an alarm system. Whenever the values fall below or rise above the threshold values, the user in alerted by the alarm. This way, the patient can be prevented from going into serious conditions like commas through taking of preventive measures. The alarms also indicate low battery levels.
The oximeter bought must have a warranty period. Warranties for these products are normally two years or more. When buying a high-end oximeter, avoid settling for those that the warranty does not exceed two years. Warranties provide protection against losses caused by the negligence of producers.
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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