Why do we use pulse oximetry in the clinical setting?
Pulse Oximetry Basic Principles and Interpretationreturn to: Pulse Oximetry common misconceptions regarding use Show Introduction
Figure 1: An example of one type of pulse oximeter Background Hemoglobin (Hb) exhibits positive cooperativity.
Figure 2: Animation demonstrating the oxygenated and deoxygenated configuration of Hb molecule. Hemoglobin is composed of 4 subunits (2 alpha, 2 beta in adults) and exists in two forms:
Oximeters operate based on this principle of different absorption and light emission of the T and R configurations.
Figure 3: Oxy and Deoxy Hemoglobin Absorption
Photoplethysomography:
Figure 4: Representative PPG taken from an ear pulse oximeter. Variation in amplitude are from Respiratory Induced Variation. (Spl4 [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) Interpretation Tips
Summary
Further Reading Jubran, A. (2015). Pulse oximetry. Critical Care, 19(1), 272. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-015-0984-8 Blaisdell CJ, Goodman S, Clark K, Casella JF, Loughlin GM. Pulse Oximetry Is a Poor Predictor of Hypoxemia in Stable Children With Sickle Cell Disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154(9):900–903. doi:10.1001/archpedi.154.9.900 What are the reasons for conducting pulse oximetry in clinical practice?Pulse oximetry is also used to check the health of a person with any condition that affects blood oxygen levels, such as:. Heart attack.. Heart failure.. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Anemia.. Lung cancer.. Asthma.. Pneumonia.. What is the purpose of measuring pulse oximetry?The pulse oximeter observes a rapid measurement of oxygen saturation level in your body without using needles or taking a blood sample. The measured amount shown on the screen reflects the saturation of your red blood cells with oxygen. This number gives your doctors and nurses an idea of what your treatment will be.
What is a pulse oximeter and why is it an important tool in ICU?Introduction. Pulse oximetry is ubiquitously used for monitoring oxygenation in the critical care setting. By forewarning the clinicians about the presence of hypoxemia, pulse oximeters may lead to a quicker treatment of serious hypoxemia and possibly circumvent serious complications.
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