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

@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.

Or, instead of MumsNetters, you can listen to the opinions of critical care doctors who recommend an oximeter for the detection of potential hypoxia, if that's then backed with medical advice.

www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html

Widespread pulse oximetry screening for Covid pneumonia — whether people check themselves on home devices or go to clinics or doctors’ offices — could provide an early warning system for the kinds of breathing problems associated with Covid pneumonia.

People using the devices at home would want to consult with their doctors to reduce the number of people who come to the E.R. unnecessarily because they misinterpret their device. There also may be some patients who have unrecognized chronic lung problems and have borderline or slightly low oxygen saturations unrelated to Covid-19.

No one's saying rush to A&E if stats are concerning, but there's nothing wrong with a call to 111.

@Haenow

Exactly how they should be used. A guide but not replacing a medical opinion on your condition. So much easier to triage people who even have a cheap device.

There are a few key things that can give lower than correct readings. You work through the common ones on the phone. You can send an ambulance to test if the results are still too low.

I think everyone needs to take some responsibility for their own health. We can't go running to the doctor every time... that exhausts the NHS and leaves you at risk of silent hypoxia.

I have one and check every morning. But I'm over 65 with diabetes, so am especially concerned about Covid.

But if it was low enough to be dangerous, you would know something was very wrong anyway

Unfortunately not, my relative had no breathlessness, didn't feel unduly worse than they had for the last few days and their oxygen sats as taken by the paramedic were 76%.

I've got one. It's been used loads even though we we haven't had covid.

I used it one the phone to 111 about dd2, the readings I was getting matched the readings the paramedics got once they arrived. I've used it for me and dd1 when having phone consultations with the gp, including when the gp was ringing every couple of hours with dd1 to make sure her levels were staying up.

@FOJN

People like you break my sanity on a daily basis. Really showing no ownership of your own health.

@PastaPins

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

Trouble is by that point, you're too ill to make it to the phone to call anybody.

(Context: I've had pneumonia).

kimlo can you share the brand you bought? DH is a GP and bought one off Amazon. It was waaaay off the readings the paramedics had. They were saying that they’re spending so much time on call-outs correcting inaccurate readings. DH’s machine read 91. The paramedics’ read 99! He still went to hospital anyway because his Covid has been gastric, not at all respiratory in symptoms. He’s come back out of hospital and I’ve been up all night cleaning vomit and shit (angry, tired, afraid, feeling woefully inadequate as a carer and angry with a system DH has been an intricate part of for 30+ years, a healthcare system that can’t, in his hour of need, deliver to him what he’s been delivering to thousands... ugh! So many feelings best left for another thread). Sigh. Anyhow... back to the matter at hand! Which machine do you have, may I kindly ask? Sorry for my rant everyone. Just feeling a bit ground down.

www.amazon.co.uk/AFAC-Saturation-Monitor-Oxymeter-Concentration/dp/B089LWJWWD/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=oximeter&sprefix=oximeter&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1609759001&sr=8-3

it's this one.

I have one. My son has asthma and we have had a problem when DS was suffering and his inhaler was not having the usual and desired effect. Neither he nor I could tell that his O2 levels had dropped until we attended the doctors surgery. She was also surprised at his presentation and his lack of response to ventolin and even his slow response to O2. He was taken by ambulance to hospital and she is totally fine with us having one at home now.

I bought one back in April after reading about silent hypoxia. I've barely used it and it's currently in a drawer with the batteries removed, but I feel reassured knowing it's there.

I used it a couple of weeks ago as my chest felt tight. I'm asthmatic and was pretty sure that was the reason, but DS was at home after being in contact with a positive case so I was a bit worried. I checked my peak flow and SATs which confirmed my SATs were normal but my peak flow was lower than normal. So it reassured me that it definitely my asthma and to deal with it as I usually do.

@TheVanguardSix

A Nonin is best, but pricey.
We use them on our FRVs.

smariewrtr

I bought a sats monitor and digital thermometer some months ago and am limiting contact with others so very much taking ownership of my own health.

My post was very carefully worded but many people are so eager to react with outrage they haven't read it properly.

Your sanity might be more reliable if you made fewer assumptions.

@TheVanguardSix

Sorry your are going through this nonin is by far the best. Hard to source. Some medical teams will send them home with you if you are stuck.

Personally I wouldn't recommend the very cheap ones because they are inconsistent but as soon as you get wildly different readings in a small time period you know they are a dud.

@TheVanguardSix We've got the same one as Kimlo. It's basic but accurate. My dh showed it to his diabetic team and they said it was perfectly adequate. They said when you first put it on keep it on for at least 5-10 minutes. We played with it and it does start off in low 90's but then fairly quickly goes up to 99. I hope your husband recovers well

ps I'm not a hypochondriac obsessed with medical worries. It's been in the cupboard for months along in the first aid box

@FOJN

1. You are implying that people with chronic conditions are the same as people who are otherwise healthy, that is ridiculous. Anyone with a chronic condition should know enough about oximetry.

2. You are eroding the confidence of the general public when it comes to using an oximeter. That is not right, people can read the instructions that come with the device. If they don't understand they can educate themselves. If they have a problem they can get support from trained professionals.

The NHS is flooded with sick people, everyone needs to be informed and try and mind their own health.

Asymptotic people often have deteriorating oxygen levels without knowing. This is how they know and restrict movements. Why would you not enable it?

I have one, mainly for interest sake. I am assuming whilst not wildly accurate if it was to drop down from the seemingly normal levels I could go from there.

smariewrtr

1) You are implying that people with chronic conditions are the same as people who are otherwise healthy, that is ridiculous. Anyone with a chronic condition should know enough about oximetry.

My point is that people are quoting O2 sats numbers in isolation as if there is a single figure for everyone that should cause concern, reference to people with chronic lung conditions was an example of a situation where X% is concerning would be inaccurate. Offering advice based on a number is irresponsible when we do not know the medical history of those reading the advice. O2 sats would not be taken in isolation in a healthcare setting. Many people with chronic lung conditions would understand their sats in the context of other information, some will not have the understanding you think they do.

2) You are eroding the confidence of the general public when it comes to using an oximeter. That is not right, people can read the instructions that come with the device. If they don't understand they can educate themselves. If they have a problem they can get support from trained professionals.

Of course people can read instructions but if you do not understand the limitations of the equipment or the reading in context then there is a risk of unnecessary alarm or, probably worse, misplaced reassurance.

If people are not prone to panic and are willing to inform themselves then monitoring O2 sats can be helpful, if either of those things is not applicable then we should advise people to seek further advice whenever they are concerned rather than rely on cheap medical devices for reassurance.

Empowering people to take responsibility for their own health is a good thing if you do not over simplify things to the extent that people think they don't need expert advice.

I have years of experience in a relevant field of healthcare if that helps. If people take away nothing else except that you should not treat O2 sats as the only thing to prompt you to get further advice then I'm OK with that.

@FOJN

I think you are very skewed by your own personal situation which is not reflective of a general person with no underlying health conditions. You are assuming that a low number will cause panic, I am suggesting a high number can bring reassurance.

You are correctly stating that this number alone- of course that is obvious. but a low reading should prompt a call to a trained medical professional.

The reason I said you are breaking my sanity is ox sat is a key piece of information for medical professionals on telephone triage. Why would you discourage that and make the job harder!!!

@smariewrtr I can't help be reminded of the smug arrogance of Dr Jenny Harries when asked about face coverings and she smirked that the general public don't know how to wear them properly so pointless and would offer little protection. Meanwhile much of the rest of the world were all wearing them.

Why do you need one??

Surely the monitoring would be useful to identify trends though. So say you get COVID you use it to get a base level. Than you can use that to monitor how the illness is progressing.
I know my friend was told to monitor her levels and this resulted in her being admitted to hospital for oxygen. Without it she may not have realised how poorly she was

@Northernsoulgirl45

A good example of patient led care that is making the best use of NHS resources.

Out of interest was she given the device and monitored or was she monitoring off her own bat?

@FOJN

I take your point about limited understanding in some chronic lung disease patients but that’s going to be a minority. If someone has COPD, for example, but usually has very good sats, they absolutely should seek medical advice if they drop to a lower number especially if they have possible covid.

I bought one last May, it was quite expensive if I recall correctly, I didn't get it for a month, they were in short supply back then. I like it, I can check my normal levels whilst I'm in reasonable health, so I know my own baseline, and that of my DP.

I think the 'don't get one because it'll increase anxiety' is a ridiculous argument - on that basis, don't have a thermometer either! Learn how to use it properly and it's a useful device to have.