CMS pulse oximeters are medical gadgets that help medical professionals determine, somewhat indirectly, if a patient is getting enough oxygen. The devices clip onto the finger, the earlobes or, in infants, a foot. What they actually measure is the amount of hemoglobin that is fully loaded up with oxygen. In most people, this figure should be at least 95% or more.
It really is fascinating that a simple instrument can take a measurement down to the molecular level without being stuck underneath the skin. This isn't the place to go into the smoke and mirrors physics, but it is something to do with absorbing light. Somehow, the machine to which the oximeter is attached can calculate the concentration of oxygen circulating in a patient's arterial blood.
While this is a decent method of measuring oxygen saturation, it gives no information about the actual level of oxygen in the blood. More accurate measurements of blood oxygen levels may be obtained by measuring arterial blood flow. The best method of doing this is by sticking a needle directly into an accessible artery.
Jamming a needle into an artery, which are by design very thick, is very painful for the patient. Because of this, it is not routinely done unless it is really necessary. The feeling of having a needle pierce into an artery has been compared to having a sharp implement poking directly into a bone.
One of the circumstances where pulse oximetry is employed is during sleep studies. These investigations require an overnight stay in the hospital and are done for the purpose of finding out if someone has a condition called sleep apnea. This is when a person periodically stops breathing during the night. At best, they wake up drowsy and fuzzy-headed. At worst, it is a risk factor for life-threatening conditions like heart attack and stroke.
There are two main types of sleep apnea, obstructive and neurological. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the two and is also the easiest to treat. Therapies include surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or prescribing a device that the patient puts in their mouth when they go to bed that helps them to keep their airway open.
Central, or neurological sleep apnea, is less common and harder to treat than OSA. Instead of stopping the breathing process, the brain doesn't attempt it. There is often a serious condition underlying neurological OSA that affects the brain stem. This is the brain area that is responsible for breathing and heart rate. Neurological sleep apnea can happen by itself or in combination with OSA.
The biggest risk factors for sleep apnea are being overweight, male gender or being over the age of 40. However, sleep apnea can happen to anybody. Some small babies can stop breathing for as long as 20 seconds, which is very disturbing for already anxious new parents. If a baby is discovered to be at risk for this condition, the parents can obtain an alarm that will alert them if and when this happens. CMS pulse oximeters are also available for use at home.
It really is fascinating that a simple instrument can take a measurement down to the molecular level without being stuck underneath the skin. This isn't the place to go into the smoke and mirrors physics, but it is something to do with absorbing light. Somehow, the machine to which the oximeter is attached can calculate the concentration of oxygen circulating in a patient's arterial blood.
While this is a decent method of measuring oxygen saturation, it gives no information about the actual level of oxygen in the blood. More accurate measurements of blood oxygen levels may be obtained by measuring arterial blood flow. The best method of doing this is by sticking a needle directly into an accessible artery.
Jamming a needle into an artery, which are by design very thick, is very painful for the patient. Because of this, it is not routinely done unless it is really necessary. The feeling of having a needle pierce into an artery has been compared to having a sharp implement poking directly into a bone.
One of the circumstances where pulse oximetry is employed is during sleep studies. These investigations require an overnight stay in the hospital and are done for the purpose of finding out if someone has a condition called sleep apnea. This is when a person periodically stops breathing during the night. At best, they wake up drowsy and fuzzy-headed. At worst, it is a risk factor for life-threatening conditions like heart attack and stroke.
There are two main types of sleep apnea, obstructive and neurological. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the two and is also the easiest to treat. Therapies include surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or prescribing a device that the patient puts in their mouth when they go to bed that helps them to keep their airway open.
Central, or neurological sleep apnea, is less common and harder to treat than OSA. Instead of stopping the breathing process, the brain doesn't attempt it. There is often a serious condition underlying neurological OSA that affects the brain stem. This is the brain area that is responsible for breathing and heart rate. Neurological sleep apnea can happen by itself or in combination with OSA.
The biggest risk factors for sleep apnea are being overweight, male gender or being over the age of 40. However, sleep apnea can happen to anybody. Some small babies can stop breathing for as long as 20 seconds, which is very disturbing for already anxious new parents. If a baby is discovered to be at risk for this condition, the parents can obtain an alarm that will alert them if and when this happens. CMS pulse oximeters are also available for use at home.
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