A friend of mine was recently advised to buy a children oximeter for her son and she wanted to choose between a Contec oximeter and a Heal Force oximeter, both being very good. She needed a colour oximeter which would be easy to use and maintain.

The best thing about a finger oximeter is that parents are able to take this oximeter sensor wherever they go with their children and if they desire to know the oxygen levels of their child they simply place the device on the finger of the individual and within seconds they get a reading of the SpO2 levels.

Whether you use a handheld oximeter or a fingertip oximeter you need to be careful about the way that you use the device in order to get an accurate result. There are advantages to using a finger oximeter which include:

Speed

Pulse oximetry measures a patient's arterial saturation of oxygen (SaO2) in seconds; measurements obtained from arterial blood gases (ABG) can take several minutes to acquire and are usually drawn by a respiratory therapist, transported to the blood gas lab, measured and finally reported back to the doctor. The information from an ABG analysis provides for more information than just the oxygen level and is essential in emergencies, but oximetry is equally important to ensure the patient does not suffer the effects of hypoxia unnecessarily.

Accurate and Easy to Use

While not as precise as an ABG measurement, pulse oximeters are accurate with most patients, especially in emergency situations where seconds matter; however, it should not be used indiscriminately for some chronic conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in which a patient may have chronically low oxygen levels and raising them too high can be dangerous.

Non-Invasive and Reliable

ABG measurements, though exact, require blood drawn from an artery, which can lead to complications ranging from hematoma to laceration of the artery. Pulse oximetry is performed on a fingertip and measures through the nail bed. As long as the oximeter is used properly and is calibrated regularly, it is easy to use and usually reliable.

The function of a pulse colour oximeter is affected by many variables, including: ambient light; shivering; abnormal haemoglobins; pulse rate and rhythm; vasoconstriction and cardiac function. A pulse oximeter gives no indication of a patient's ventilation, only of their oxygenation, and thus can give a false sense of security if supplemental oxygen is being given. However, oximetry is a useful non-invasive monitor of a patient's cardio-respiratory system, which has undoubtedly improved patient safety in many circumstances.

Good peripheral circulation in the patient's extremities is critical to obtaining accurate readings and most oximeters on the market incorporate a perfusion gauge, usually in LED bar lights, that shows the strength of the patient's peripheral circulation. You need to be careful when choosing which type of children oximeter you need and buy accordingly. There is a lot of variety and it can be confusing unless you do a little research before you buy.