Should I get an oximeter?

[StormsDontLastForever]

Looking for peoples opinions please on if I should order an oximeter? Have seen a lot of chat on some threads on here about some. Can anyone recommend the best one? Ideally around £20 mark. Thanks

@PastaPins

No. If your SATS were too low you'd know about it and would seek medical treatment.

Not true.

Lots of people are showing up at the hospitals with Covid, in a really bad way due to Silent Hypoxia.

I got mine from Argos.

Ordered one from Amazon at the start of the pandemic. It said it was due to arrive in 14 days. This kept getting put back. It was then 'delayed' and now, 9 months later it still hasn't arrived. I also haven't been able to get my £34 back.

Argos one was £20. Seems to work fine.

Unless you understand what Oxometry is and all the caveats and science behind the readings - good and bad- then please don't.

This with bells on.

I've seen so many people posting on here telling people to be concerned at O2 sats of X but it really isn't that simple. If you do not understand how sats monitoring fits into the bigger picture of observations please don't buy a gadget which might panic you and please don't offer others advice on numbers to be worried about. There are many factors which can affect readings and a "low" O2 sats level will be "normal" for SOME people with chronic lung conditions.

if you get one, be aware that they can give inaccurate readings on people with darker skin

www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/16/947226068/dark-skin-can-lead-to-errors-with-pulse-oximeters-used-in-covid-19-treatment?t=1609755408194

I think it's a bit silly to ask people if they are 'trained to use an oximeter'. It's a plastic peg you shove on a finger. Yes, as a nurse, I know that there are factors that affect the reading - cold fingers, poor circulation, nail varnish. Interestingly, you can be dying of carbon monoxide poisoning and you'll have perfect O2 sats, because the pulse oximeter can't distinguish between oxyhaemoglobin (oxygen bound to haemoglobin) and carboxyhaemoglobin (carbon monoxide bound to haemoglobin).

Regardless, the person sticking the peg on the finger doesn't need to be able to interpret the results, they just have to be able to read the number and know what number means 'you're ok', what number means 'check in with 111' and what number means 'forget 111, you need a hospital'.

If someone has nail polish on their nails and their fingers are cold and they arrive at hospital with lowish sats, the HCP can always say 'Well you look ok, let's take that nail polish off, or use a toe, or warm up your hands a bit." Recheck, either reassure or treat.

Even if the pulse oximeter isn't fantastic quality, then rechecking with hospital grade kit will either reassure or lead to treatment.

@mrshoho

Our GP surgery sent a text message last autumn advising to have one along with a thermometer in the home.

^In view of the increasing cases of Covid in the UK and for us to be able to safely monitor you if you become unwell we would advise that you purchase a pulse oximeter to measure your oxygen levels and a thermometer per household if possible. This will allow us to accurately determine the extent of a Covid illness and to be able to determine whether we can avoid hospital admission. These can be bought online and at your local pharmacy.^

Yes, ours did too, I'd forgotten about that as I already had one.

TheUnexpectedPickle
Unless you understand what Oxometry is and all the caveats and science behind the readings - good and bad- then please don't.

It's a useful tool for the NHS. 111 and 999 may not be able to respond to all callers and need to prioritise. Patient A unwell, temp spiking, coughing and reporting breathing issues. Patient B reports similar symptoms so who gets priority. With a pulse oximeter the handler can prioritise the greater need for urgent care and save lives.

"There are many factors which can affect readings and a "low" O2 sats level will be "normal" for SOME people with chronic lung conditions."

There are, but it won't harm someone to get reassurance if they have a lung condition and Covid. It will harm someone to go untreated with consistent hypoxia. Also, many people with lung conditions will have been told that they will run low on Sats. Additionally, even those with lung disease can become hypoxic and not realise it, because they are used to being breathless, wheezy, etc., and as long as they know that 88-92% is normal for them, then knowing they've dropped to 82% and need medical advice is going to be very useful.

I have one, I think they are essential.

I've had happy hypoxia about 17 years ago and had a visibly concerned ambulance crew and the ER once I arrived. I remember feeling peaceful and floaty. It was actually a nice calm feeling compared with my usual asthma attacks.

So my advice with this pandemic firmly here is get one. Read the reviews on Amazon for the best.

You can't tell if you are slipping into it, I certainly couldn't. Far better to know.

@FOJN

Unless you understand what Oxometry is and all the caveats and science behind the readings - good and bad- then please don't.

This with bells on.

I've seen so many people posting on here telling people to be concerned at O2 sats of X but it really isn't that simple. If you do not understand how sats monitoring fits into the bigger picture of observations please don't buy a gadget which might panic you and please don't offer others advice on numbers to be worried about. There are many factors which can affect readings and a "low" O2 sats level will be "normal" for SOME people with chronic lung conditions.

People with chronic lung conditions, know they have chronic lung conditions & that their particular readings would be different

I'd take GP advice, NHS advice over some random on the Internet who thinks you need a medical degree to use an oximeter.

All you need to know, at home, is when to call for help & the more info you can provide, the better.

Buying one, testing it for a period of time to make sure it's consistent & you know what your usual level is, is sensible. No specialised knowledge required.

Most people are sensible and use them as a guide, no different to a thermometer.
Those who comment on oximeters being cheap items and unreliable compared to medical grade equipment, surely it’s the same for most thermometers? Most people don’t spend a fortune on them. Mine came from Aldi!

I had an infected wound recently. GP triaged by phone and asked me to check my temperature and pulse while on the phone. By my results, he felt I needed to be seen in hospital. I was treated much quicker because I had the equipment at home. Otherwise, I’d have been delayed by seeing the GP when ultimately, my obs showed I needed hospital treatment.

I have one, bought it before covid as I have a irregular heart rate and was often getting a very high heart rate. I think they are a good thing to have, same as a thermometer.

"Nope.
As a paramedic said today- taking DH to hospital- their £20,000 machines give you honest readings your £16 one won’t."

😂😂 you think the oximeters paramedics use cost £20k? Seriously @TheVanguardSix

You don't need to "know the science" to read a number and act accordingly. Do you lot also have serious Fitbit anxiety too?

@SmidgenofaPigeon
Why would say it causes anxiety? I think it would reassure people. For the people saying you need to understand oximetry... sorry why? It is a really simple device to administer and understand. It detects the first signs of COVID, detects silent hypoxia.

There are a few things that can distort readings, eg cold hands, not having your hands below your heart, fake nails.

The only thing that concerns me is OP only wants to spend £20, so we aren't talking medical grade here.... but you don't have an underlying health condition and if that is your budget then ok...

I haven't bought one but am considering it, will get one from a chemist rather than amazon though I think. We don't even have a thermometer so I guess I should probably order one of those too.

@frustrationcentral try it on different fingers and in different positions.

The cheaper ones sometimes need different positions help to work best. Sometimes they work better when the hand is pointing down, others can be used flat.

If you are well at the moment your sats should be 98-100% so now is a good time to check which position gives the most accurate reading.

@lovelilies

Assuming you are talking about healthy people with no underlying conditions

95% something isn't right. Try and source a second device if I have a non- medical grade. Check that I am not doing something that is distorting the reading eg cold hands.

93% call a medical professional and watch like a hawk for deterioration

90% really getting worried now. Definitely get medical help

We have one. During the first wave I did some reading on things people with covid found useful while they were ill - and used this to put together a little kit of stuff to have in, just in case.

This was one of them. It just sits in the kit, in case it's ever useful.

@user1471562688

Oh FFS - hysteria overdrive. I've heard it all now.

My friend has one. He has a tendency to soldier on when ill so it was very useful when he got pneumonia
a) to prove to him there was an actual problem
b) to be able to tell the hospital when they told him to come in

He’s a retired hospital consultant, but I’m sure your medical knowledge outweighs his

This is what I bought, having seen a recommendation for it. It is now £24.99 but I paid less for it in April:

www.amazon.co.uk/Zacurate%C2%AE-Fingertip-Saturation-batteries-Chromatic/dp/B00SCPBKFO?ref_=ast_sto_dp&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I bought one for my household and one for the vulnerable adult I'm in a support bubble with. I am not over-anxious but like to be prepared. (Hope for the best, prepare for the worst).

If I was to test positive for the virus, I would want to be able to check my oxygen saturation level to ensure I called for help if necessary (and to try and ensure I didn't suddenly die of 'happy hypoxia' ).

I also bought new faster-measuring thermometers.

@MrsEricBana

Anapulse ANP100 Finger Pulse Oximeter With LED Display (Includes Carrycase, Batteries and Lanyard) Sorry can't link but it was this, £20.70 on Amazon.

We bought this one three years ago because DS9 often ends up needing a nebuliser when he has a cold.

It's good, still working, never yet needed new batteries. But not ideal for little fingers - it can be hard to get a good reading.

It's nice to have for reassurance.

But if it was low enough to be dangerous, you would know something was very wrong anyway.
Absolutely untrue. Read up in silent hypoxia and happy hypoxia.

I inadvertently purchased one with my Huawei fitness watch.

Hospital parameters are quite low.
An SPo2 of >90% will see you being assessed in a UCC (if co located) and likely discharged.

The ambulance service trust I work for our parameters are 92%< they go in but then we are met with some eye rolls, patient's sent to UCC then off they go.

Pulse oximetry on these cheap OTC units can be wildly inaccurate and can fluctuate massively.
People tend to put them on their finger and then breath hold. They won't read through nail varnish. Values can increase/decrease with patient positioning.

Yes, silent hypoxia is worrying.
I attended a patient yesterday, symptoms for 5 days, speaking in long, full sentences, and appeared to look well. They were in no way distressed and looked calm and comfortable.
Their sats were 69%.
Obviously they went in, via priority call to then wait on the back of our truck for 4hrs. Totally trashed our O2 supplies, bloods and ABG all taken in the back of the truck.

We bought one months ago, just in case. My son got Covid last month and it was very reassuring to have it in the house. It has not caused any anxiety, we have not used it obsessively and now that everyone is well again it’s back in it’s box in the cupboard. I don’t see what the harm is?