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COVID-19: Can pulse oximeter be your saviour?

COVID-19: Can pulse oximeter be your saviour?
A pulse oximeter can not only show your oxygen saturation levels, but also your heart rate.

A pulse oximeter may help spot potential health trouble early, but some experts have warned the risks associated with its use. Read to know whether you should be using the device if you have COVID-19?

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : August 5, 2020 4:53 PM IST

In severe cases, COVID-19 patients may experience a sudden drop in oxygen levels, which can result in abnormal circulation and shortness of breath. However, some patients may suffer from extraordinarily low blood-oxygen levels, or hypoxia, without showing obvious breathing problems. If not treated early, this silent depletion of oxygen levels can lead to cardiac arrest. Therefore, if you have COVID-19, it is important to monitor your oxygen levels. But how can COVID-19 patients who in home isolation check their oxygen saturation? In such a case, a pulse oximeter can come to their rescue. This inexpensive home device may help asymptomatic patients detect trouble early and seek medical help.

In June, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced all home quarantined coronavirus patients will be provided pulse oximeters to monitor their oxygen levels. He also said that the government would provide an oxygen cylinder at home if there is any dip in the oxygen levels to manage the condition before the patient could be taken to a COVID-19 healthcare centre. However, some experts have warned of the risks associated with using a pulse oximeter.

Benefits of Using Pulse Oximeter

A pulse oximeter is a small clip-on device that measures oxygen levels by passing beams of light through your finger and calculating blood-oxygen levels based on light absorption. Once you put it on the fingertip, you can get your oxygen saturation reading within 10 to 15 seconds. If it drops to 90% or below (normal range is 95 to 100%), you may need supplemental oxygen. In India, a pulse oximeter can cost between Rs 1,000 to 3,000. In addition to your oxygen saturation levels, a pulse oximeter can also show your heart rate.

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According to doctors, a pulse oximeter is especially needed in households with elderly members. Current data suggest that elderly people are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and death due to a weaker immune system. Many of them are getting silently killed by this disease due to late diagnosis as they become evidently ill when they're terribly advanced. The pulse oximeter may help spot potential health trouble early and save lives.

Risks Associated with Pulse Oximeter use

It's important to have a pulse oximeter if you have a COVID-19 patient at home, but it's not a substitute for talking to a healthcare provider, warned the American Lung Association. You should seek a doctor's advice if your readings are consistently in the low range, but at the same time watch out for other early COVID-19 symptoms.

In a statement released on April 30, Albert Rizzo, MD, the chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, cautioned that fixating on pulse oximeter readings may provide a false sense of security. Some patients may catch lung problems before they experience shortness of breath. Even when you experience trouble breathing, the device may sometime show healthy oxygen saturation levels, which could delay seeking urgently needed care.

Pieter Cohen, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in a letter to The New York Times, had underscored the risks associated with home oximeters. He noted that pulse oximeter use can give inappropriate reassurance to both clinicians and patients and lead to over-reliance on a single number rather than a complete assessment of the patient, besides the risk of false readings.

Should You Use Pulse Oximeter if you have COVID-19?

Some health experts believe that the benefits of using an oximeter outweigh the risks, especially for patients who are suffering from silent hypoxia. Empowering patients to self-monitor may give them the assurance that they're okay and reduce their anxiety. Pulse oximetry can actually save your life if used in a proper manner. The American Lung Association recommends people to discuss the necessity and use of the device with their healthcare provider.