Pulse oximeter how do you interpret results?

[Makinganewthinghappen]

My 17 year old had covid last month and then developed a chest infection afterwards she is on antibiotics now.

We have a pulse oximeter and we used it while she had covid and it showed her oxygen was 97/98 which seemed fine.

Yesterday and today we tried it again and her oxygen yesterday was 95/96 but today it seems to be all over the place.

When she first puts the finger thing on its down to 91 then it seems to go back up to 93/94 after she has sat with it on a bit. And for some reason it suddenly shoots up to 97 then drops right back down again.

I have no idea what this means!
I am not massively worried she seems ok shes a little but breathless but i actually thought she seemed a little better today but this has me doubt it. She eating and sitting on the couch.

Im wondering if i have been doing something wrong with this this whole time! As i say im not too worried at the moment but i would like to know how to properly keep an eye on this!

I have read on here aboit people using these so if anyone can help it would be appreciated.

Ive attached a picture of our monitor in case there are different types.

They are never completely accurate, the sp02 is the oxygen level, the pr is her pulse. The readings for both can change when you move, if your finger tips are cold, if you wear nail varnish. The only accurate way to test blood oxygen ,levels is with a blood test but people do use oxi meters as a rough guide. If you are worried maybe 111 can offer you advice.

Dh monitors SpO2 twice daily following pneumonia last year. If it is initially below 94% he adjusts and takes a few deeper breaths which usually sees it rise. He also takes his blood pressure so can check the pulse reading is similar.

All her numbers are a little low for a healthy teenager at rest tbh. Sats can vary based on position and how much she’s moving so momentary dips do happen but if her sats stay consistently below about 94 or she becomes confused/lethargic I would call an ambulance as she might need a bit of extra o2. I really hope she feels better soon.

Paramedic here. Handheld oximeters are notoriously inaccurate. We get quite a few calls from people who are worried that there sats are low after using one of these, but when we turn up with our monitors, their levels are always 100% 😂 It’s good to reassure people though
As a general rule of thumb, if it’s consistently reading less than 92% on one of these (and not just when you’ve first put it on, you need to give it a few minutes to settle and make sure she’s keeping still and fingers are warm) and she’s symptomatic (increased resp rate, breathing effort), then I’d be getting some advice.
Have you tried testing it on yourself? That might give you a better idea of it’s reliability

Thanks!
Ok so we tested it on some of our other children and ourselves it is it 97-99 on everyone else .

We had our teenager sit for two mintues then took a reading after two minutes pic attached but then it went up after another minute to 94. Her fingers feel warm etc.

I feel a bit ridiculous calling the gp and saying my daughter is sitting on the couch eating cereal and playing the sims on her laptop but this little finger thing is worrying me - i think id sound insane.

She is on antibiotics so would it be worth just doing it again tonight and seeing what happens?

Forgot pic of finger

Forgot to add she is coughing up a load of gunk today (sorry) so could it be a case of that starting to clear out?

If she seems OK, I really wouldn’t worry. If you didn’t have this monitor thing, would you be concerned?

It’s quite likely that the infection is still clearing up & affecting her breathing a bit. I have asthma & when I get chest infections, my stats sit around 94 ish (on a GP monitor, I don’t have my own). I’m completely fine, just tired & sore chested. Def couldn’t walk very fast. I just take it easy until the antibiotics have kicked in!

The other possibility is that she might need different antibiotics. How long has she been on them & are they improving her symptoms (not the oxygen levels)? If they don’t seem to be at all, it may need to be looked at again. Stronger antibiotics or a sample to determine what bacteria is causing the infection!

94 is at the very bottom of the healthy range, anything lower definitely warrants a call to a gp (less than 90% and 999).

So as she's receiving treatment either monitor her closely and see if she stays 94 or above or call gp now and ask for advice - which moght also be to monitor her closely.

What happens to her numbers if she walks around btw? They should go up - if they go down that eould be another reason for seeking help.

@Withthemonsters can I ask a question please?
I have an oximeter that seems to bring regular stable reading for both of my children but when I use it the bpm is so strange.
It’s always pretty consistent but when I’m resting it goes to anywhere between about 47bpm and 55bpm but always turns red and beeps and then when I’m up and about (but not actually exercising, just up and about) it shoots to around 135bmp and 140bpm and turns red and beeps.
I’d presume the oximeter is just broken but it reads consistently well for my children?!
I also often wake throughout the night with numb hands and sometimes I feel like there is a sharp pain under my left rib cage that hurts more when I breathe out.
Is this something I should speak to a go about?
I don’t want to waste time if it’s just me being anxious and a dodgy oximeter or can be normal!?
Sorry to butt in on your thread @Makinganewthinghappen , I hope your daughter feels better soon.

Gp not go

@Newnameforamo I’d give your GP a ring, not necessarily for the oximeter (although it’s worth a mention) but for the other symptoms, I think it’s worth getting it checked out. How long has this been going on for out of interest? (feel free to DM me if you don’t want to share more on here)

If you didn’t have the pulse oximeter would her general condition worry you?
Does she have any underlying conditions?
Does she smoke?
I have a DS17 and it has surprised me how many of the girls he knows smoke, but their parents would never guess. DS is really anti smoking (DH and I both smoke although no longer socially). Also drug use, I am sworn to secrecy, DS knows that I can keep my mouth shut so probably shared far more than he should.
Give the antibiotics time to work and use the oximeter when required rather than continuously.
Covid has been a real money maker for the manufacturers of cheap medical devices.

I would definitely contact the doctor about those readings. There's always some fluctuation but my 17 year old ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics when his oximeter readings hit 95. Obviously your journey could be different but the antibiotics may need to be stronger or different and 95% is when they start taking things seriously with Covid. My son had patches of infection across his lungs. It really can't hurt to contact the doc or 111.

We used a pulse oximeter when we had covid a few weeks ago. We called NHS 111 when my husband's readings were consistently around 91-92% for a couple of hours. When the ambulance came, their (much bigger) oximeter also showed 91%, so @Withthemonsters comment is not always true! He was then admitted to hospital for several days.

We did find that when he came home the readings fluctuated between 92-98%, depending what he had been doing. Taking deep breaths and sitting up straight helped improve levels, compared with lying down and breathing shallowly.

I'm not a medical expert, but our experience with an oximeter is that there is some variation, but it's not a problem until the reading is consistently on the low side.

@Newnameforamo Definitely see the doc about all those symptoms!!

@Makinganewthinghappen 94% is at the lower end of normal especially for a teenager, but if she’s otherwise well enough in herself (no breathing difficulty, high resp rate, cyanosis, lethargy, confusion etc.) it wouldn’t really concern me as a paramedic.
Are the antibiotics improving her symptoms? It does sound like her chest is clearing out nicely, how long has she been on them?
I would always say ring your GP though if you are concerned, even if it’s so they can put your mind at ease 🙂

There are some things that can affect O2 levels. Your daughters hands are quite chubby, does she have a high BMI as this can reduce levels. Also anaemia can cause low O2.
I your GP is aware of underlying risks then a call is not a bad idea.
May be worth checking the light probe is in the right position. Her finger nails are very short and the probe may be slipping.