CMS pulse oximeters are the little medical devices that they plug onto your fingertip whenever you go to the Emergency Room or before an operation. Sometimes they put them onto the earlobes. In tiny babies, they use a foot. The purpose of the device is to measure the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen. Generally, this number should always be at 95% or higher.
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 an excellent way of screening sick people from really sick people, a more accurate measurement is obtained by measuring oxygen directly from arterial blood. This is important in places like intensive care units or when a patient is under anesthesia having an operation.
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.
Pulse oximeters are used a lot in research. Oxygen saturation is one of the parameters that is measured as part of sleeping studies that are investigating whether an individual suffers from sleep apnea, a condition where they stop breathing for brief periods during the night. This is a potentially fatal condition because it can lead to heart attack or stroke. At the very least, it makes people sleepy and unproductive the next morning.
There are two basic forms of sleep apnea; neurological (or central) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Of these, OSA is the more common and the easiest to treat. Some people need surgery to correct an anatomical abnormality, while others are easier to treat with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or wearing an oral device, prescribed by an oral surgeon, while thy sleep.
The other kind of sleep apnea, neurological or central sleep apnea, is rarer and more serious than OSA. Rather than being unable to breathe, your brain doesn't bother to try. This is usually associated with a serious underlying condition affecting the brain stem, which is the part of the brain that controls breathing. Central sleep apnea may manifest itself alone or alongside 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 an excellent way of screening sick people from really sick people, a more accurate measurement is obtained by measuring oxygen directly from arterial blood. This is important in places like intensive care units or when a patient is under anesthesia having an operation.
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.
Pulse oximeters are used a lot in research. Oxygen saturation is one of the parameters that is measured as part of sleeping studies that are investigating whether an individual suffers from sleep apnea, a condition where they stop breathing for brief periods during the night. This is a potentially fatal condition because it can lead to heart attack or stroke. At the very least, it makes people sleepy and unproductive the next morning.
There are two basic forms of sleep apnea; neurological (or central) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Of these, OSA is the more common and the easiest to treat. Some people need surgery to correct an anatomical abnormality, while others are easier to treat with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or wearing an oral device, prescribed by an oral surgeon, while thy sleep.
The other kind of sleep apnea, neurological or central sleep apnea, is rarer and more serious than OSA. Rather than being unable to breathe, your brain doesn't bother to try. This is usually associated with a serious underlying condition affecting the brain stem, which is the part of the brain that controls breathing. Central sleep apnea may manifest itself alone or alongside 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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