Pulse oximetry

Authors: Rednenko V.V.

Editor: Rednenko V.V.

Equipment for the practical skill:

• Pulse oximeter (Pulse oximetry device)

Clinical situation:

• You are the doctor on duty of the admission departement at the district hospital. A patient was admitted to the emergency room in a serious condition. Monitor pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter

Order of the skill performance:

Preparatory stage:

• Connect the device sensor to the block (if necessary, in some device models)
• Turn on the device
• Adjust the boundaries of the sound notification (this function is not available for all models):
  • set the minimum value for the heart rate beep: 60 (the beep will sound when the heart rate is below 60);
  • set the maximum value for the heart rate beep: 90 (the beep will sound when the heart rate is above 90);
  • set the minimum value of blood oxygen saturation: 95% (the sound signal will be given when SPO2 is below 95);
  • set the volume of the sound signal

Maine stage:

• Put the device sensor on the nail phalanx of the hand in the position of direct contact of the LED to the nail plate.
• Watch the display two parameters: heart rate and oxygen saturation.
• Interpret the results
  • Heart rate
    • less than 60 per minute - bradycardia
    • 60-90 per minute - normocardia
    • more than 90 per minute - tachycardia
  • SPO2
    • 95% and more - normal
    • less than 95-85% - hypoxia
    • less than 85% - severe hypoxia

Final stage:

• Monitor indicators during treatment