Used Medical Equipment Bensenville

Used Medical Equipment Bensenville – Terrain Biomedical – 733-697-8400

A pulse oximeter is a device that measure the oxygen levels of the patient’s blood. Simple to use, oximeters provide a look at how oxygen gets to parts of the body farthest from the heart.

Using a probe with a clip, medical staff places the device on the patient’s ear lobe or finger. Using light, the probe measures the blood’s oxygen levels. This data helps the healthcare providers determine if the patient requires extra oxygen.

Pulse oximeters provide information that medical professionals use for:

• -Before or after surgeries or medical procedures where sedation is used.
• -To determine the effectiveness of lung medication.
• -To check a patient’s ability to handle higher levels of activity.
• -To see if a patient needs a ventilator to assist with breathing.
• -To monitor a patient’s breathing during sleep. Particularly when the patient has sleep apnea.

Additionally, pulse oximetry can check the health of a patient with a condition that affects oxygen levels in the blood such as:

• -Heart attack or heart failure.
• -Anemia.
• -Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• -Lung cancer.
• -Asthma
• -Pneumonia

Healthcare providers might have other reasons to recommend pulse oximetry.

All medical procedures contain some degree of risk. The risks of pulse oximetry can possibly include:

• -Skin irritation resulting from adhesive upon the probe.
• -Incorrect reading of the data if the probe falls off the finger or earlobe.

The potential risks can vary according to the patient’s general condition as well as other factors.

Used Medical Equipment Bensenville – Terrain Biomedical – 733-697-8400

Preparing for pulse oximetry
Healthcare providers review the procedure with the patient. However, patients should ask any questions they may have regarding the procedure. Healthcare providers may advise the patient to remove fingernail polish before applying a finger probe.

What the expect during pulse oximetry
This procedure is typically performed on an outpatient basis. On the other hand, it sometimes can be performed as part of a longer treatment in a hospital. The method in which the procedure is done can vary. It depends on patient condition and the healthcare provider’s technique. However, in the majority of cases, pulse oximetry involves:

• -A healthcare practitioner places a probe on the patient’s earlobe or finger. In some cases, the practitioner places a probe with an adhesive on the patient’s finger or forehead.
• -The probe remains attached for continual monitoring in some situations.
• -The healthcare provider removes the probe following the test.

Used Medical Equipment Bensenville – Terrain Biomedical – 733-697-8400