Benefits Of Using A Pulse Oximeter

Effectiveness Of Breathing Interventions

The use of pulse oximetry helps patients with asthma, sleep apnea, and other chronic conditions in determining the effectiveness of breathing interventions they have been prescribed. Common breathing interventions for respiratory conditions include supplemental oxygen, a CPAP machine or mouthpiece, inhalers, and ventilators. Doctors and nurses routinely use pulse oximetry monitoring to assess the level of supplemental oxygen or ventilation that a patient should receive. Hospital staff chart oxygen saturation and respiration rate changes at the patient's bedside, and adjustments to the treatment are made accordingly. Outside of the hospital, pulmonologists measure the oxygen saturation of their clinic patients to determine whether a long-term medication or treatment is working.