Buy a pulse oximeter!

[PurpleFlower1983]

Covid: How a £20 gadget could save lives

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55733527

I have had first hand experience of this, my otherwise healthy 41 year old husband is currently in critical care on oxygen support. He’s getting there now but there have been scary moments. We only knew his oxygen levels were dangerously low because of this machine. Buy one if you can.

We have always had one for the last four years, they have been upgraded overtime. DS(5) always suffered with his chest when he had a cold since he was 11 months and got admitted many times due to it. We bought one due to this to keep a check on his sats. He’s been on a brown inhaler for the last 2 1/2 years and hasn’t had a stay in hospital since. Anyway, I digress. We all have had covid and our oximeter helped give me some peace of mind throughout it to see our oxygen sats we’re ok.

Thanks have ordered one for my parents they don't have covid but my dad is in the High risk category and mum in medium risk due to asthma

Do not rely on smart phone/watch apps. Widely inaccurate. Dangerous practice.
Not all people with Covid will desaturate.
If you have covid, try reading at rest and after activity (we normally ask patients to walk 40 steps/climb stairs or do a few squats depending on age and ability)
Our current trust guideline is an SPo2 of 92% or less goes in to ED for assessment.
Between 88%~92% will get you monitored for a few hours and bloodwork done and likely a discharge home.

Silent hypoxia is very worrying. A patient with asthma and low SPo2 will look very unwell - pale/cyanotic, clammy, tripoding and anxious.
Patients with covid will look absolutely normal. Will speak in full sentences and appear relaxed.
I attended a gentleman 2 weeks ago who was semi recumbent in bed, cheerful, looked mildly unwell. His SPo2 was 66%. And that was taken on a piece of equipment that costs around £20000.

Using finger probes - no nail varnish. Keep hands still. Breathe normally (the amount of people I've seen breath holding when they're on!)

That's worrying! Dh had (according to a home test) blood oxygen levels of 82-84 for 24hours and was just told to open to open windows and drink plenty! Fine now though!!

@Stressedmummyof4

Thanks so much for the heads up, I'd been looking to buy two today and had hoped to find them cheaper. Two means you can calibrate and know what's normal for you on that machine.

[quote AbstractDot]@Stressedmummyof4

Thanks so much for the heads up, I'd been looking to buy two today and had hoped to find them cheaper. Two means you can calibrate and know what's normal for you on that machine.[/quote]
Your welcome, we paid a small fortune for my sons so I had to grab these at that price, they are quite literally life savers!

I have had one for years, so here are a few tips

Check what type of battery it uses and buy a spare, they always run out just when you really need them and some take the annoying button ones

You have to have clean skin and no nail polish to get a good reading

Always check on a couple of different fingers if the reading is low. Some fingers just work better than others.

You can leave it on for ages and just keep an eye over time, but it does use up the battery

Write down your numbers if you are concerned. Its easy to forget

If you have a low number, do some deep breathing and see if you can shift it up into the normal zone. If you can, its less of a problem...if you cant, get serious about calling for medical advice

Oh and the heart rate is also important in conjunction with the saturation

If your BPM is 150 and your sat is 94 that is way worse than a BPM of 80 and a sat of 94.

It shows that your heart is having to work extra hard to get the oxygen around the body which shows that you are probably going to deteriorate

@Snorlaxx

Where is it on a Samsung?

play store

I've found the ones on phones, at least my phone, to be just as accurate as an actual pulse oximeter. I've tested my phone on one hand and put an actual oximeter on the other hand (I'm a nurse so using actual hospital equipment) and pretty much always get the same reading on both.

And the 02 monitor is in 'samsung health' on your phone. The app should be pre installed, at least mine was.

The article I read warned against phone apps.
We were told we’d get the most accurate reading from the middle finger on our right hand. It certainly gives the most consistent reading

Avoiding Amazon, I got one from a medical supplies company. They have them from £24. The one I got is out of stock at the moment but was double that on Amazon.

www.medisave.co.uk/diagnostics-equipment/pulse-oximetry/pulse-oximeters.html

I suspect the price will rocket today.

edit

yes, it already has.

found it on my Samsung phone. it says
96%
78BPM

that's handy.

Best to not have nail polish on as well.

Does anybody have one that works for adults and children (3 yrs +) alike and is accurate?

@Ginfordinner 96-100% normal.
94-96 gp call
Below 94% you are in need of treatment.- oxygen ( well unless you're chronic copd)

Just to say this was guidance on BBC yesterday.

I ppl are going to buy these then please access some information on how they work. The BBC article is vague.
They can be used on any finger, and even toes. Some have an attachment for an earlobe.
Make sure you don't have nail polish on.
If the results look initially low give it a couple of minutes and also try another finger.
I you're buying it for a relative and they have something like COPD or emphysema they can naturally have lower oxygen levels . So what is low for others can be "good" for them.

There's loads more but that's all I can think of.

I remember they were recommended on a thread on Mumsnet back last spring, and bought one in the summer when I went back to work (felt I was at higher risk then) and the prices had dropped. Fab bit of kit.

@Torvean32

I ppl are going to buy these then please access some information on how they work. The BBC article is vague. They can be used on any finger, and even toes. Some have an attachment for an earlobe. Make sure you don't have nail polish on. If the results look initially low give it a couple of minutes and also try another finger. I you're buying it for a relative and they have something like COPD or emphysema they can naturally have lower oxygen levels . So what is low for others can be "good" for them.

There's loads more but that's all I can think of.

NHS England guidance here:

www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/12/C0719_COVID-Isolating-at-Home-Safety-Netting-Leaflet-Revised-FINAL-171220.pdf

NHS link to pulseoximeter info within that graphic:

I’ve been looking at these for months, but every time I go to order I’m put off by the reviews! I think that something is better than nothing though, so have just ordered.