If you have sleep apnea, you need to get a sleep apnea test. Learn what the symptoms of sleep apnea are here.
]]>If you suspect you have sleep apnea, delaying diagnosis will only take you one step closer to several illnesses caused by sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause a number of complications, including:
Daytime fatigue
High blood pressure
Heart problems
Type 2 diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Complications with surgery and medications
Liver problems
Sleep deprived partners
For people who are not single, their partners can tell them if they suspect them of having sleep apnea. If you are single and just want to make sure you do not have sleep apnea, you need to be alert for the following signs:
Snoring at night is the most common symptom of sleep apnea. Even though snoring does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea, getting a sleep apnea test just to make sure of it can provide you with peace of mind. If you do not know if you snore or not, you can record yourself snoring. If you live with someone, ask them to check up on you for a few nights to tell you if you snore.
Gasping for air during your sleep means you stopped breathing in the middle of the night and are trying to catch your breath. Sleep apnea blocks your airway during sleep and results in you waking up throughout the night because you are short of breath. When you wake up, you feel tired. This is one of the most dangerous symptoms of sleep apnea. You need to get a home sleep test to put a stop to this symptom.
If you feel tired during the day, regardless of the number of hours you slept, you are likely gasping in your sleep. It is normal to feel tired in the morning on some days but if it is a reoccurring issue, you may have sleep apnea. Get yourself properly evaluated by opting for a home sleep study to receive a proper diagnosis.
If you cannot sleep at night, you may have insomnia. Insomnia causes you to lie awake at night. If you are unable to sleep and you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, such as gasping for air and snoring, that is a very dangerous combination. Your sleep apnea is making your insomnia worse, so visit your doctor to share your concerns.
Since you cannot sleep at night, you will feel cranky throughout the day, only to face this problem again the next day. Untreated sleep apnea can result in severe mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. If you experience sudden mood swings, consult with your doctor about getting a sleep apnea test.
Waking up with a headache each morning is a symptom of sleep apnea. The recurrent pauses in breathing at night can cause the oxygen levels in your brain to remain low, which results in headaches. You need to get a home sleep test to confirm if you have sleep apnea.
If you have one or more of these symptoms of sleep apnea, contact us for a sleep apnea test. We will send you the device to perform the test at your home. Contact us for more information.
]]>Facts About a Home Sleep Study You Should Know
]]>If you are getting a home sleep test done, you are probably stressing because a test is a test in the end. Now, your search for answers brought you to us. You want to know as much as possible about home sleep studies, so you can stress less. The following facts will take away the tension and provide you with more clarity on what a home sleep test is:
Home sleep studies are no different than other medical tests. You need to get a doctor’s prescription for a sleep apnea test covered by your insurance company. We will verify your insurance, schedule a test date convenient to you, and mail you the home sleep study test. Expect to get in two to three days.
Compare the costs of a home sleep test at a lab to one in the comfort of your home and you will discover a huge price difference. A sleep apnea test at a lab can cost you between $2,000 and $4,000 and if you cannot afford it, deter you from going for it in the first place. A sleep test in your home is much more affordable.
Sleeping in your own bed versus sleeping in the lab’s bed — which one is better? The first option of sleeping in your own is way better than the second option. At a lab, getting a good night’s sleep is impossible unless you are a type of person who can fall asleep just about anywhere.
If you are not, you will be restless the entire night. Plus, they will attach you a host of nodes and wires, hence making sleeping peacefully almost impossible. If you get a home sleep test, you will just wear a simple monitor that will monitor and record your breathing throughout the night and provide accurate data to diagnose sleep apnea.
Every home sleep test comes with detailed instructions and if followed correctly, you can get accurate results from one night of sleep. You will receive a portable sleep data monitor, a nasal cannula, a heart rate sensor, and a chest strap. If you do not understand the instructions, call us for assistance.
Once you mail the device back to us, we will send it to a board-certified sleep physician to interpret it. They will analyze your data and provide it to a referring physician and to your chosen DME provider. It will not take us long to get back to you with the final diagnosis and you will receive the results between 10 to 14 business days. If you went to the lab for a sleep test, it could take them several weeks or months to return your results.
Once you its confirmed that you have sleep apnea, you can get the help you need to prevent it. Do not delay contacting us for a home sleep study test. Contact us today to schedule your home sleep study test.
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If you recently took a home sleep test and it showed you had sleep apnea, do you know what caused it? Learn here to find out.
]]>Most people are aware of sleep disorders and are familiar with sleep apnea. Often, people with sleep apnea fail to take the necessary measures to prevent or diagnose it. Even though you cannot prevent sleep apnea, you can decrease the chance of it becoming worse.
You can get a proper diagnosis by undergoing a home sleep study test, and then visit a doctor to help you get your sleep disorder under control. If you do get diagnosed with sleep apnea, do you know what caused you to develop it? Let’s take a look at the common causes of sleep apnea.
Does one or more of your family members suffer from sleep apnea or another sleep disorder? If one or both parents have a sleep disorder, chances of you developing it increase. Some genetic factors said to attribute to people developing a sleep disorder include the shape of the neck, cleft lip, and down syndrome due to the way it influences the tongue and facial bones. For your respiratory system to function properly, your airways need to clear.
Excess weight can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea, resulting in breathing difficulty at night. If your sleep apnea is due to another cause, you may gain weight if it remains untreated. Your body requires adequate amounts of sleep to function properly. If your sleep apnea is preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep, you may gain weight. Sleep apnea can reduce the effects of leptin, which is a weight reducing compound in your body. For this reason, getting a sleep apnea test is important.
The older you get, the higher your risk of developing a sleep disorder gets. Men are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea than women. Age can cause your upper airways to stiffen in your sleep. This occurs because your brain is unable to relax the muscles during sleep. You can prevent this by maintaining a healthy diet and workout routine. You should also do some mental exercises that keep your mind sharp.
There is a connection between sleep apnea and endocrine disorders such as acromegaly and hypothyroidism. By treating these disorders, it may stop a person’s sleep apnea from worsening. These disorders also influence the shape of the neck and hormone levels. If you suspect you may suffer from sleep apnea because you have an endocrine disorder, get a home sleep test.
Smoking can cause inflammation in your throat and swelling in your upper airway. It can also worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea. Failing to get a home sleep study test and going undiagnosed may lead you to develop the habit of smoking.
This could be due to the stress you experience each day due to a lack of sleeping you are receiving at night. Alcohol is another substance that can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea because it relaxes the muscles in your throat.
Consider getting a home sleep study test if you fit into one or more of the categories above that increase your chances of developing it.
]]>You can ensure the success and accuracy of your home sleep study by following these tips. Click here to learn what they are here.
]]>Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects almost 22 million people in the United States. An effective way to find out if you suffer from sleep apnea is to take a home sleep test. A home sleep study test collects data to determine if a person has sleep apnea.
You can either opt for a sleep test in your home or at a lab. Both offer various advantages to the person taking the sleep test. However, most people may be reluctant to go with a laboratory-based sleep test, as they have to sleep in an unfamiliar environment for the night.
A home sleep test eliminates the discomfort and allows people to get a good night’s sleep. If you plan to go with a sleep apnea test in your home, ensure its success and accuracy by following these tips:
Be honest with your home sleep test provider about other medical conditions you have even if they are minor. Let them about all the medications you take as well, including herbal supplements. Sometimes, a certain medical condition can affect the accuracy of your sleep apnea test at home.
If you share a room with your partner or a roommate and plan to get a sleep test at home, discuss your sleep behaviors with them. Let your home sleep test provider know all the different behaviors you exhibit in your sleep.
You may have more than one sleep disorder or may not even have sleep apnea. If you feel you have more than one sleep disorder or a different diagnosis altogether, getting a sleep test at home may not be right option for you.
When you receive the sleep test at home, you will receive a set of instructions to set it up. If you are unable to understand some part of the instructions, call your sleep test provider. Also, double check to ensure you have set it up correctly.
If you live alone, ask a relative or friend to come over to place the sensors on you correctly. Ask them to stay over and start the device once you have slept. They can sleep in the same room as you to periodically check on you to ensure the device is working properly.
Gels, body sprays, and hairsprays can interfere with the sensors by eroding it. When you receive your sleep test, use it the next day if you have used a gel, body spray, or hairspray prior to receiving it in the mail.
Caffeine and alcohol can interrupt your sleep patterns. The day you plan to take the sleep test; avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol.
Do not take a home sleep test if you have a major event planned that day or you plan to sleep late at night. Plan your sleep test at home on the day you plan to sleep at your regular bedtime.
With these tips in mind, how about scheduling a home sleep test with us. Contact us today to schedule your test.
]]>Do you know how long your home sleep test will take? When you undergo any type of test, this is one of the most important things you need to find out. It is important to learn as much information as you can about any type of test you plan to take.
]]>Do you know how long your home sleep test will take? When you undergo any type of test, this is one of the most important things you need to find out. It is important to learn as much information as you can about any type of test you plan to take.
In the instance of a home sleep test and an in-lab test, time can vary. Knowing more about the duration of each in terms of how long it will take to perform it and the length of time it will take to receive the results will help you decide between the two. Time for a closer look.
Duration of an in-Lab Test and Home Sleep Test
You will need to stay overnight at the lab and wait around two to three months to receive the results. The reason the waiting time is so long is because of the sheer amount of information it collects. An in-lab test does not just test for sleep apnea, but for other sleep disorders as well. Therefore, it will take time for them to analyze your results and give you a diagnosis.
You will take a home sleep test in the comfort of your home and it will just take one day for the machine to monitor and record your breathing pattern in your sleep. You will get the results of your test within days.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, going to the doctor for treatment will be the next step. A board-certified sleep physician will interpret the results of your test and hand over to a referring physician and to the DME provider of your choice.
Start Treatment Immediately
Once diagnosed with sleep apnea, start treatment as soon as possible. If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can cause a large variety of medical problems such as daytime fatigue, high blood pressure or heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, liver problems, and complications with surgery and medications. If you have a sleep partner, it may cause them to lose sleep and may result in them sleeping in another room to get a good night’s sleep.
What is the Most Chosen Option? — In-Lab or Home Sleep Study?
The option you choose depends on several factors. Choose an in-lab test if sleeping in another location than your own does not bother you and you are able to sleep in an unfamiliar setting. An in-lab may be an option for you if money is not an issue because it tends to be most costly than a home sleep test and if you want the test to find out if you have other sleep disorders.
If you want a cost-effective option, one that provides you with quick results, and is taken within the comfort of your home, go with a home sleep test. If you only want to test for sleep apnea, choose this option over the other one.
If you have decided to go with a home sleep study, contact us to schedule your test. We will ship the device to you with detailed and easy to understand instructions on how to set it up, including how to return it to us for evaluation.
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is bad for the brain as much as it is for the heart. Memory loss, fatigue and lack of attention are just a few of its side effects.
]]>When you hear the term Sleep Apnea, you probably wonder about its physical implications for your body. While it does cause side effects like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, sleep apnea can cause serious brain damage in the long run as well.
People know what OSA is bad for the heart, but the fact that it is equally bad for the brain is largely unknown or ignored. Memory loss, fatigue and lack of attention are just a few of the side effects.
Sleep apnea causes people to suffer from repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, which disrupts their sleep cycle. Lack of proper sleep can affect a lot of other aspects of life because your brain is not getting the rest it needs.
OSA sufferers experience a lot of issues in their day-to-day life, including lack of attention, fatigue, irritability, and reduced short-term memory.
The side effects of sleep apnea don’t just end with tiredness and moodiness, as it can cause real physical brain damage. Research suggests that the mammillary bodies of people suffering from sleep apnea could be up to 20% smaller than those who don’t.
Aside from that, there is a significant decrease in the white as well as the grey matter of the brain in individuals suffering from sleep apnea. These don’t only result in issues related to memory and emotional well being, but could also result in a decrease in cognitive functioning and an increase in cardiovascular disturbance.
The good news is that the damage caused by sleep apnea is reversible if the right actions are taken to reduce it. A CPAP therapy, which provides you with mask to help airflow during sleep, could potentially reverse the effects of sleep apnea within a year. Whereas the white matter of the brain could increase within three months, the grey matter may take up a year to return back to normal.
The first step is to confirm whether you are suffering from OSA or some other sleep disorder. For this purpose, you can order a home sleep test which lets you test yourself within the comfort of your home. It is easy, accurate and it costs a lot less than going to the hospital to get tested. It is important that you ask your doctor before taking the home sleep test.
Once you identify that you have sleep apnea, you should visit a doctor to further understand. In mild cases, your doctor may suggest a few lifestyle changes to reverse the affects of sleep apnea, like quitting smoking or losing weight.
If these changes don’t help you or you a have a severe case of sleep apnea, your doctor may suggest advanced treatments.
The most important thing to remember is that if you suspect you suffer from sleep apnea, it is best that you get a home sleep test and put your concerns to rest.
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Over the years, people have come to believe that sleep apnea is an issue for just middle-aged, obese men. In fact, studies up until a few years ago suggested that men were 9 times more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women.
However, the narrative has changed and more accurate research in the past few years suggests that to be far from the truth. Although, generally, men may be 2 to 3 times more like to develop this disorder, women are still at risk. As women grow older and hit menopause, the ratio decreases to a large extent.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is more likely to go undiagnosed in women, since doctors generally don’t consider a woman may be suffering from sleep apnea until most other medical conditions are ruled out. This is why it is crucial to understand the symptoms that women may be suffering from.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Women
Most of the OSA symptoms you hear about apply to both the genders. Loud and constant snoring, sleepiness and lack of attention during the day, concentration issues, chocking or gasping during sleep could all potentially signal towards sleep apnea.
But women can have other symptoms that are not generally considered to be linked to sleep apnea.
As mentioned above, a woman going through menopause is at an increased risk of developing sleep apnea. The reason behind this is that as woman hit menopause, the hormones estrogen and progesterone start decreasing. These hormones seem to protect women sleep cycles and breathing, hence increasing the risk of sleeping disorders as they decrease.
Though pregnancy doesn’t directly cause sleep apnea, it may, along with other symptoms, increase the risk of developing it. When a woman is pregnant, her body goes through a lot of changes. Weight gain, disruptive sleep patterns, and changes to the anatomy can all cause breathing issues that may result in sleep apnea.
Women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea. Although obesity could be a factor in both of these medical issues, studies have shown that this syndrome can increase the risk of this sleep apnea up to twice as much. This is regardless of whether the woman is overweight or not.
A few other lesser know factors that may increase your chances of sleep apnea include fibromyalgia, thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia, diabetes and high blood pressure.
These symptoms don’t necessarily mean that you have the sleep disorder, but they are worth investigating if you cannot figure out another cause behind it.
What Should I Do if I Feel I Have OSA?
If you are suffering from OSA, it is important to not stress over it, since that would only add to your symptoms. Sleep apnea is reversible if diagnosed at the right time.
If you are concerned about your situation, the first step you should take is to bring this up to your doctor. You may talk to your doctor about taking a home sleep test to determine your condition. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, your doctor may suggest appropriate treatment options.
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Heidi Nye is a contributing writer for RT Magazine. For further information, contact rtmagazine@allied360.com.
http://www.rtmagazine.com/2013/11/pulse-oximetry-essential-in-diagnosing-sleep-apnea/
Incidences of sleep-disordered breathing continue to rise as America faces an obesity epidemic that some experts believe could soon exceed 50% of the population in some states. Overnight oximetry, a standard monitoring tool in respiratory care, plays a key role in diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders before oxygen desaturation contributes to comorbidities like GERD, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
By 2030, obesity rates for American adults are projected to exceed 50% in 39 states, adding $66 billion to the already exorbitant cost of treating obesity-related diseases.1 One of those related diseases is sleep-disordered breathing, specifically obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which has seen an enormous increase in diagnoses in recent years.
Sleep apnea is marked by episodes of hypopnea (partial occlusion of the airway) and apnea (full occlusion). Central sleep apnea (CSA) is characterized by daytime drowsiness, frequent nighttime arousals, pauses in breathing of 10 seconds or more, and at least 10 to 15 apneas and hypopneas per hour with no respiratory effort. CSA occurs primarily in patients with heart failure. The far more common obstructive sleep apnea—approximately 84% of all cases, affecting 15 million Americans2—manifests the same signs, except the patient is making an effort to breathe during the episodes.
Overnight pulse oximetry, an essential tool in clinical and home sleep testing, is key to diagnosing sleep apnea before nighttime blood oxygen desaturation worsens existing comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and GERD, or perhaps even contributes to their onset.2-4
“It’s the gold standard in home apnea testing,” said David Baker, CEO of SleepImage, which recently formed a partnership with Nonin Medical Inc to add pulse oximetry to its existing devices. Results from Nonin’s WristOx2 oximeter are integrated with those from the SleepImage device. The addition of oximetry to its sleep testing devices has increased system accuracy by 25% to 30%, Baker said.
“Cardiopulmonary sleep disorders, essential sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, upper airway resistance all require the use of pulse oximetry for diagnosis,” said Braebon CEO Richard Bonato, who added that pulse oximetry also can be used as an ongoing monitoring tool after the initial diagnosis.
“Pulse oximetry is one of the parameters used for diagnosis, but it can also be a tool to monitor ongoing treatment. A case in point—a doctor with breathing problems used pulse oximetry one night to establish a baseline. The next night he again monitored his blood oxygen with pulse oximetry while wearing a CPAP. He had essential sleep apnea, and so continued to monitor with pulse oximetry to determine his optimum air pressure level,” Bonato explained.
Postdiagnostic readings make sure that the patient using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is receiving the optimal flow of compressed air to keep the airway open and thereby prevent the obstructed breathing that characterizes sleep apnea.
On its own, however, pulse oximetry is rarely sufficient, said Bonato. “Sure, if a guy walks into your clinic at 400 pounds with a 22-inch neck, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on, so pulse oximetry monitoring may be enough,” he said, adding that most cases aren’t so clear-cut and require other data such as ECG, respiratory rate, heart rate, and snore.
Since Medicare and Medicaid require corroborating desaturation data before patients can be put on CPAP, Nonin sales rep Steve Carey sees the need for pulse oximetry growing. “As more people begin to understand that sleep apnea can cause other problems, it becomes more important for the medical community to screen patients,” said Carey. “There’s been a shift from sleep labs to companies like SleepImage that are doing four or five parameters with a home device.”
Correct Application Makes All the Difference
“Pulse oximetry is more than a number,” said Shari Angel Newman, RPSGT, clinical director at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center’s Sleep Disorders Center in South Carolina. “Diabetics or congestive heart failure patients tend to have poor perfusion,” which can result in false negatives or false positives. Because blood flow is diminished, pulse oximetry “may not show depth of variation in the ups and downs” of blood oxygenation.
In heavy smokers, the body makes extra hemoglobin in an attempt to deliver sufficient oxygen to the cells, something that also must be taken into account when looking at pulse oximetry readings. A diabetic may have diminished blood flow in the fingertips, and an oximeter placed there could give false readings. Even dark nail polish or ambient light shining on the sensor can result in inaccuracies.
Conventional pulse oximetry considers only the pulsation of arterial blood at the measurement site, but when the patient moves, venous blood also moves, which can result in an underestimation of oxygen saturation levels.5,6 Signal Extraction Technology (SET), pioneered by Masimo Corporation, isolates the venous blood signal, which has a lower oxygen saturation level, and extracts only the arterial signal to more accurately report oxygen saturation and pulse rate. “The biggest hurdle is convincing sleep labs to use measure-in-motion pulse oximetry,” said Gary Clawson, Masimo’s senior director of global professional education, “so they don’t get a lot of oxygen drops” that aren’t diagnostically significant.
If you have values generated only once per second, you typically are given readings in whole percentages, said Compumedics marketing and product management consultant Jeffrey Kuznia. “But the body doesn’t step down in whole percentages,” said Kuznia. “Pulse oximetry generally has 2% to 3% accuracy, but if you instead went down to the tenth place, you’d get a response curve that was physiologically much closer to what the body is actually doing.”
Focus on Sleep
A poor night’s sleep can mean low energy levels and a decrease in exercise, which can contribute to weight gain and obesity. With excess weight comes depression, an ever-diminishing inclination to exercise, further weight gain, and potentially more episodes of sleep-disordered breathing. Because of resulting hormonal, chemical, and metabolic changes, type 2 diabetes, cardiac and cardiovascular problems, GERD, and other diseases are more likely to manifest or worsen.2-4 For example, 86% of type 2 diabetics have OSA.3
“The reality is that if you have diabetes and sleep apnea, your treatment will be impeded if you don’t treat the sleep apnea,” said Kuznia. Interruptions in sleep affect the body’s ability to metabolize glucose, so treating OSA improves glucose control and helps with weight loss, which further improves control.3
If blood flow to the kidneys and the brain is interrupted, desaturation can cause a number of adverse events, including elevated blood pressure, arrhythmia, and increased incidence of stroke. The American Heart Association reported that 50% of patients with OSA are hypertensive, and 50%+ of those with heart failure, arrhythmia, and arterial fibrillation are likely to have OSA, compared with approximately 30% in the general cardiac population.2
If sleep apnea could be treated at its onset, the United States could reduce the occurrence of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, while saving many billions of healthcare dollars in the process. “But the system doesn’t always lend itself to that,” said Henry L. Johns, BS, RTSGT, CRT, CPFT, program manager for Clinical Specialty Labs at the Veterans Administration’s Eastern Kansas Health System.
Several years ago, Johns petitioned Medicaid on behalf of pediatric patients who needed pulse oximetry home testing and treatments for sleep apnea. The oximetry, CPAP, and ongoing care would have been approximately $2,500 per patient. Medicaid refused to cover the testing; however, it does cover other life-saving procedures that cost much more, like tracheostomies, which can cost upwards of $300,000, according to Johns. “[It] makes no sense” to disallow immediate, low-cost care because diabetes and its complications may not manifest for another decade, Johns said.
Medicare requires a 4% drop in blood oxygen saturation in order for a patient to qualify as having sleep apnea, but Johns said clinicians know that a 2% to 3% drop can be “very clinically significant, especially if it occurs in a cyclical fashion. Some aggressive physicians will put their patients on CPAP, but the majority will say, ‘Let’s watch it.’ But what does that mean if they’re not testing? Most insurers watch what Medicare is paying. If they’re not paying, insurance companies won’t allow for testing.”
Ideal Screening
Ideally, primary care physicians would screen all at-risk patients with pulse oximetry. Those who reported being awakened by their own snoring, disturbing their significant other’s sleep, or not feeling rested would be sent home with a pulse oximeter or multichannel sleep monitors to take a closer look. According to Johns’ calculations, every accredited sleep lab in the country would have to handle 7,000 cardiac and cardiovascular patients a week in order just to take care of the 50%+ of those patients who are likely to have sleep apnea.
The awareness of attending clinicians and physicians plays a major role in helping to diagnose sleep disorders. An estimated 85% of patients with clinically significant, treatable OSA are undiagnosed.2 Where some can let warning signs slip away, the most diligent physicians can overload a sleep center. “Of the two hospitals I oversee,” said Johns, “three primary care physicians keep the sleep center booked 3 months out. They’re very attentive to asking basic questions of every patient with hypertension or diabetes: Do you snore or stop breathing? Are you sleepy during the day?”
In addition, though it once may have been the case, sleep apnea is not just about the obese anymore. While OSA and obesity have been clearly linked, clinicians can’t just single out heavy patients for scrutiny. “That’s where we were 30 years ago, thinking only obese people snored; 70% of my patients are obese,” said Newman, but added that not every person with sleep apnea suffers from obesity, and that she is aware that healthy-looking patients also may suffer from sleep-disordered breathing.
Ultimately, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea and obesity early on could ease the personal suffering and public healthcare costs of ongoing care for cardiac patients and type 2 diabetics, the latter of whom are predisposed to a long list of complications, including kidney failure, blindness, and amputation.
What’s more, arresting OSA at onset might even prevent sleep apnea-related changes in the body from developing these conditions in the first place. A technology as inexpensive yet effective as pulse oximetry can and should play a role in expanding sleep disorder screenings and diagnoses, but for now, such an aggressive regimen only exists in an ideal world. RT
Heidi Nye is a contributing writer for RT Magazine. For further information, contact rtmagazine@allied360.com.
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https://www.verywellhealth.com/overnight-oximetry-is-a-commonly-used-screening-test-3015119
If you are suspected of having a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea, your medical provider may recommend that you undergo overnight pulse oximetry, a commonly used screening test that evaluates blood oxygen levels. This testing is also used to qualify for home oxygen use. What happens with this test? How is the information used? Learn about oximetry and how it might be helpful to evaluate your breathing in sleep.
What Is Pulse Oximetry?
Overnight oximetry is a simple test that can easily be done at home. It provides basic information that may be useful in initially evaluating whether you have one of the more common sleep disorders, sleep apnea.
The test typically involves applying a plastic clip over the end of your finger. Imagine a large clothespin or plastic sleeve that encloses your fingertip. This clip may be held in place with a piece of tape, but it is not painful to have on and it can be removed easily. It is usually connected via a cable to a small box that records the data overnight. If you use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), it can be connected to this device to record the data. Newer devices may adhere directly to the skin and provide similar measurements.
Within the overnight oximeter sensor is a red light. This red light shines through your finger or the surface of your skin. Often on the other side, or sometimes parallel to the emitting light, is a sensor that can measure your pulse (or heart rate) and the oxygen content of your blood. The latter is determined by the color of your blood, which will vary with the amount of oxygen that it contains. Highly oxygenated blood is more red, while blood that is poor in oxygen is more blue. This changes the frequency of the light wavelength that is reflected back to the sensor.
Oximetry to Evaluate Oxygen Levels and Identify Sleep Apnea
These data are recorded continuously over the course of the night and will result in a graph. Your medical provider will be able to review it and determine if there are abnormal drops in your oxygen levels called desaturations. This may occur recurrently in sleep apnea.
It is also possible for the oxygen levels to be sustained at lower levels, especially in the setting of underlying lung disease like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema.
With the oxygen desaturations, there may be associated increases in your heart rate. These events may suggest the presence of sleep apnea because it involves periodic pauses in your breathing and drops in the oxygen level of your blood that lead to a spike of cortisol (stress hormone) that impacts the heart.
Normal Levels for Pulse Oximetry Measurements
In general, it is considered abnormal if the oxygen levels fall below 88 percent in adults or below 90 percent in children. Importantly, the duration of this decrease matters. If the levels are below 88 percent for longer than 5 minutes during a night, a condition called hypoxemia may be diagnosed. These levels can be very low, and generally desaturations to less than 80 percent are considered severe.
These drops in the blood oxygen levels may require treatment. If the underlying cause is due to sleep apnea, then CPAP or bilevel therapy may be effective. However, in the absence of sleep apnea, the use of supplemental oxygen as delivered via tubing to a nasal cannula from an oxygen concentrator or oxygen tank may be needed to resolve the abnormality.
The Pros and Cons of Overnight Oximetry in Sleep
This screening test is easy and inexpensive, but it is not perfect. The devices are becoming more widely available to consumers. They can be purchased online or even at pharmacies. What value might these measurements offer?
Oximeters only provide a limited amount of information. In addition, there are subtleties involved in sleep disorders that it may not be able to detect. For example, sleep position (especially sleeping on one's back) and sleep stages (especially REM sleep) may impact the degree of oxygen changes. Simple devices cannot identify these contributions.
Nevertheless, overnight oximetry may be useful in identifying some people who warrant further testing, such as polysomnography or more extensive home sleep apnea testing. It can also be helpful to ensure that sleep apnea treatment is effective and that oxygen desaturations that were noted on prior diagnostic testing have resolved.
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Probe placement in infants:
Before we move on to explain the correct placement of probes in infants, make sure that whatever brand of device is being used, it is approved by the FDA for use on newborns.
Here’s how it should be placed:
Probe placement in Adults:
Compared to newborns and infants, probe placement in adults is relatively easy. In adults, finger probes work just fine. They are easier to attach allow for movement.
Here’s how they should be attached:
The device is pretty much self-sufficient, all we need to do is place the probes properly and take the readings.
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Understanding the workings of a Pulse Oximeter:
Before the introduction of pulse oximetry, the saturation level of oxygen was observed through the tedious and invasive method of blood samples. But with this device the blood is monitored for oxygen saturation through skin, the monitor and readings give a clear indication of patient’s heart rate and oxygenation.
There are many factors that have a direct affects on the readings of pulse oximeter testing and among them are the uses of nail polish and henna.
A patient who is wearing nail polish will have the wrong readings. It’s better to switch the probes to nails with no polish or choose an entirely another application site like ear lobes. The findings that nail colors affect the results of pulse oximeter testing is a result of various tests conducted to ensure it. Research conducted by Coté and coworkers discovered that nail polish can affect the reading of oxygen saturation by a huge margin. Test conducted showed a decrease by 97% to 87% as compared to the original Spo2.
Henna one of the most commonly used dye all over the world. A large number of Asian women apply it on their hands and some men apply it as well. Henna’s scientific name is Lawsonia inermis and when it is freshly applied on skin, it causes a discoloration on the skin.
A pulse oximeter works by monitoring blood by the transmission of light at two wavelengths and if there’s anything that acts as a hindrance in the path of light, it affects the readings. Now a henna application on the hands is dark skin pigmentation and instead of letting these two wave lengths pass the skin, it ends up absorbing it and only allowing the infrared to infiltrate. The results are obviously incorrect when the device is unable to function as it should.
Moreover henna is difficult to remove. It is the kind of dye that penetrates our skin and cannot be washed off or removed just by using some common chemicals. The most one can achieve is to soften or maybe dull the dark color of the henna but it still remains penetrated deep within the skin. The only way to have correct readings is by changing the area of application.
As we mentioned formerly, it is very necessary to take the correct readings because finding out the blood saturation level at the right time can help save someone’s life. It is highly recommended to get your overnight pulse oximetry testing by an IDTF that is informed with the procedures of testing.
Let’s have a look at all the ways overnight pulse oximetry testing can be utilized
Limitations:
Like most things a pulse oximeter has its limitations. However knowing these limitations can help the medical practitioners and nurses take better care of their patients. Let’s learn about these limitations:
It’s very important that clinicians conducting the oximetry testing must be aware of these limitations.
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The oxygen level in blood not only helps with monitoring the condition of lungs in a person but increasing and decreasing readings also serves as an indication of a condition most dangerous in nature. A large number of times, readings with an oximeter even serve as lifesaving signals.
For this reason and many others, it is imperative that the readings taken during the testing must be accurate. The test itself should be conducted by an expert who is well aware of the workings of the device. It is also important for the patient and the device conductor to be conscious of all those factors that can affect the readings of an oximeter.
Allow us to enlighten you with them:
Insufficient Blood Flow:
The sensors in the probes, reach across to the blood to detect the saturation of oxygen. But in cases of poor perfusion where the blood flow is inadequate, readings will be affected greatly. It is a must for the blood pressure to be above 80. The low pressure of the blood can be caused by any of the following:
Increased Movement:
Patients with conditions that can lead to increased and rapid movement or shivering can have an inaccurate reading. There are some devices however that can overcome this shortcoming.
Fake Fingernails:
Fake fingernails might affect the readings in addition to nail polish colors as they are pigmentations and act as a hindrance for the probes and sensors.
Interference of Light:
Lights can also affect the readings of a pulse oximeter if it is too harsh. It can be tested by covering the light source and taking the readings again. The presence of any sort of radiated lights like infrared or ultraviolet can definitely have an impact on the reading.
Health Conditions:
There are certain health conditions of the patient themselves that can lead to inaccurate readings; for instance, patients with unreliable carboxyhemoglobin readings, methemoglobinemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemias and anemia will always have wrong readings.
There are certain pigmentations and dyes on skin that can also affect the readings of pulse oximeter. Before the test patients and practitioners both should make sure that external conditions of the room are suitable for the testing.
From HME News
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders were caught off-guard by a proposal in a recent final rule to include numerous types of ventilators in Medicare’s competitive bidding program.
CMS proposed but backed off from including vents in the program before—non-invasive vents for Round 1 2017—but this time, it has proposed including not only non-invasive but also invasive and new multi-function vents.
“We had no inkling they would expand the product categories at all, let alone to ventilators,” said Kim Brummett, vice president of regulatory affairs for AAHomecare. “It’s a risky thing to put in competitive bidding because you don’t know if patients will have access to these devices.”
CMS announced earlier this month that it was seeking comments on adding three new product categories to the bid program: ventilators, and off-the-shelf back and knee braces.
The possible addition of vents, particularly invasive vents, sets a dangerous precedent, say providers.
“We feel people are going to be in jeopardy,” said Bill Hart, director of clinical services for Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Advent Home Medical. “The invasive side is much more serious and the patients much more fragile.”
Providers already took a hit on reimbursement for vents, when CMS, in an attempt to rein in skyrocketing utilization rates, overhauled the product category and reduced reimbursement by about 33% in 2016.
If CMS truly wants to improve the product category, say providers, it needs to issue local coverage determinations, something the industry has requested and the agency has so far declined to do.
“With a true LCD, clear qualification criteria and usage requirements, we as an industry could better partner with CMS and other healthcare systems to drive superior outcomes, and save the overall system significant dollars,” said Eric Mongeau, vice president of sales and marketing for Norwood, Mass.-based Reliable Respiratory. “Those end points should be the ultimate determining factor when CMS considers whether or not to include these codes in the next round of competitive bidding.”
AAHomecare has formed a ventilator workgroup to develop comments on the proposal. The VGM Group has pulled together talking points for providers who plan to comment. Comments are due Dec. 3.
CMS has proposed adding the following codes to the next round of the program in 2021, after a two-year gap period: E0465, E0466 and E0467; L0450, L0455, L0457, L0467, L0469, L0621, L0623, L0625, L0628, L0641, L0642, L0643, L0648, L0649, L0650, L0651; and L1812, L1830, L1833, L1836, L1848, L1850, L1851, L1852.
Read the complete article: Here
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What are Congenital Heart Defects?
A congenital heart defect is a birth defect in which the heart of a newborn is not properly formed. The structure of the heart is imperfect and deformed. Mostly the valves, walls or arteries of the heart are not in their right position or developed as it should be and leads to various acute and critical heart conditions.
Pulse Oximetry helps determine the condition in newborns without any invasive testing and even assists the expert medical practitioners in detecting the following kinds of critical congenital heart diseases.
Following are the critical congenital heart defects which can be detected with an overnight pulse oximetry testing:
Tricuspid Atresia:
Tricuspid Atresia is a heart condition in which the two separate arteries for blood circulation are absent; in its place is only one large artery. Albeit very rare and uncommon, this heart anomaly leads to critical condition of patients. With only one artery present, the path to blood circulation is not established and either the body receives the blood or the lungs and in either case it causes grave condition of the patients. If left undiagnosed and untreated it increases the possibility of heart failure very early in life.
Tetralogy of Fallot
Tetralogy of Fallot is a set of four structural defects found in the heart at birth. These defects include holes in the lower chambers of the heart; the protective muscle around the heart is thicker than it should be, the aorta is situated right above the holes and there is a blockage between the heart and the blood. These defects lead to insufficient supply of blood in the body and the patient often has a blue tinge to them.
Pulmonary Atresia:
This heart defect is found in the pulmonary valve, it is almost absent. A lack of pulmonary valve makes it difficult for the blood to flow from the lower right chamber of the heart to the lungs.
Dextro transposition of the Great Arteries:
D-transportation of the great arteries is a birth defect in which the normal routine of blood transportation from body to the heart to the lungs to the heart again is completely impaired. This causes reverse flow of blood and causes deoxygenated blood to flow in the body.
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome:
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is another critical congenital heart defect in which the baby is unable to develop the left side of the heart properly and ends up with a small aorta and left ventricle as well as holes in the artery and septum.
There are a number of heart diseases that can be detected with the help of pulse oximetry testing. These heart conditions are very acute in nature and need to be diagnosed as early as possible. While these conditions cannot be eliminated, treating them early can help save lives.
Requirements for Overnight Oximetry IDTF
In case someone wants to establish an overnight oximetry IDTF, it must comply with a set of requirements. These include, but are not limited to:
Using Pulse Oximetry Right
You cannot simply rely on the number you see. You must take into account other factors. For example heart failure patients suffer from bad perfusion, which leads to false positives and false negatives since the blood pressure has diminished. Pulse oximetry never shows the depth of variation in these ups and downs. The body makes extra hemoglobin in heavy smokers. It is just an attempt to deliver sufficient oxygen to the body cells which is something that should be taken into account when reading the device.
Quality of Sleep
If a person suffers from a poor night’s sleep, it means they have low energy levels; it could also lead to low levels of exercise. A person with excess weight, stress and depression due to poor quality of sleep will have probably more instances of disordered breathing during their sleep. This results in hormonal and metabolic changes. Some diseases are likely to manifest in such a person. If a patient suffers from diabetes as well as sleep apnea their treatment will be impeded if they do not treat sleep apnea. Interruptions in the quality of sleep affect your body’s ability to be able to metabolize glucose; treating sleep apnea may create a positive domino effect for you.
Overnight Oximetry Testing
The ideal way to approach screening for sleep apnea is for the doctor to screen at risk patients as well. Only those who relay that they wake up in the middle of the night startled by their own snoring should be sent home with a portable overnight oximeter device. Multichannel sleep monitors may be just what one requires to find out if there is a serious condition involved. The bottom line is that patient’s awareness of meeting with physicians is an important factor in diagnosing sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Doctors can’t let warning signs slip away; this is exactly why patients need to diligently answer questions of whether they sleep during the day, snore a lot, or just stop breathing. Patients should also tell physicians of any other condition they may have like diabetes or hypertension.
Advantages of Overnight Oximetry Testing
This testing technique is quite important and has certain advantages of its own:
It can Be Used as a Follow Up for CPAP and Screen for HST
Patients on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, at medium to high pressure, often have Central Apnea events. Overnight oximetry testing prove to be effective in detecting such events which are undetectable by the CPAP observational devices in use right now. Also, overnight oximetry testing is also used in screening prior to Home Sleep Testing (HST) or Lab Sleep Testing of patients that are at the risk of Apnea.
Medical Springboard
It has been considered to be a good teaching method by physicians to teach patients about their low oxygen saturations at night time. It can be used to elicit a visceral response while explaining low saturation of oxygen in the blood flow.
Home Oxygen Therapy Assessment
To determine whether a person is in need for home oxygen therapy, overnight oximetry testing is done. This is one of the most common uses of this testing technique and is frequently prescribed by physicians. If the patient is reported to have significant Hypoxemia, this test, along with a clinical assessment, will clearly indicate whether the patient should be kept under oxygen therapy or not.
Testing Comfortably from Home
Quite often, sleep labs are booked. This test allows for the assessment to be done from the comfort of your home. Some patients prefer to have it this way as well.
It is Clinically Utilizable and Economically Beneficial
Netzer, Eliasson, Netzer & Kristo (2001) have pointed out that the decreasing size and increasing efficiency of pulse oximeters has proved to be effective, both clinically and economically. It is convenient for the patients and provides accurate results, in most of the cases.
No Risks
There are no health risks attached to the use of pulse oximeters to monitor the oxygen saturation levels in the blood. One only has to be careful about keeping the equipment away from water or exposure to any liquids as it is electrical. Any changes in the usage, like shifting probes or using an oxygen mask, should be noted to avoid any errors.
Section B: Medical Documentations
The first section of 186 (s) (6) of the Social Security Act requires a completed Form CMS 484 in order to make sure that the criteria for provision of home oxygen services are met. This also ensures that the services being provided are in line with the prescriptions made by the professional attending to the patient. The details on this form are only to be filled by the professional therapist, his employees, or clinicians who are in charge of tending to the patient in question. This can include a nurse or any respiratory therapist. This section also lays down detailed instructions about which professional is expected to play a role in providing home oxygen care and in what way. It also calls for statement of specific details regarding each case, including the diagnosis of the disease, the rate of oxygen flow, frequency, and usage duration, to name a few.
Section C
This section requires laboratory evidence to support the claim that a patient is in need of home oxygen service. For this requirement, a blood gas / overnight oximetry study would need to be done, the results of which must be attached to verify this section. Further clarification on details regarding laboratory evidence is also made under this section of the act.
Section D: Health Conditions
If a person is in severe hypoxemia chronic stable state, coverage will be provided on 3 conditions which include several sub-situations and case options.
Section E: Portable Oxygen System
Sub-section C of 186 (s) (6) of Social Security Act clarifies the requirements specified for coverage of portable oxygen system. If the patient fulfills the requirements, a portable oxygen system is either provided by itself or in addition to a stationary oxygen system.
Section F: Respiratory Therapist
This section is a statement which mentions that in the absence of respiratory therapist services, only the equipment for home oxygen services would be provided. Home oxygen services use IDTF's for overnight oximetry testing. Especially in conditions like hypoxemia, sleep apnea, etc, overnight oximetry testing is very crucial and requires proper equipment which can be expensive without coverage under Medicare.
Symptoms of Hypoxia
Symptoms of Hypoxia include:
1. The skin color changes. It may turn cherry red or blue.
2. The person will not be able to make sense of their surroundings and may feel confused.
3. Coughing.
4. The heart beat would increase and will become very fast.
5. The person starts to breathe rapidly or runs short of breath.
6. This is accompanied with wheezing and whistling sounds.
7. The victims start sweating excessively.
Causes of Hypoxia
One of the most common causes of Hypoxia is an asthma attack which narrows down the airways, restricting the normal inhalation of oxygen. This, in turn, causes low levels of blood oxygen saturation. The condition gets even worse when the patient coughs to clear their lungs. This process consumes more oxygen which decreases the already shallow presence of oxygen in blood. Chronic lung diseases also cause Hypoxia. Anemic people also have Hypoxia due to the lack of red blood cells in their body that carry oxygen through the blood stream. People having heart diseases or under medication through drugs often develop Hypoxia symptoms as well. It is also common to find Hypoxia being caused under conditions of Pneumonia and Sleep Apnea.
How to Treat Hypoxia
The best option, other than treatment, is to prevent it from happening in the first place. If one suffers from Asthma, make sure your condition doesn’t get worse. Stay away from possible inflammatory objects or places that can trigger your Asthma. Follow the treatment plan for Asthma religiously and keep a check on your diet as well.
However, it is not possible to always avoid Asthma attacks or any condition that leads to Hypoxemia. In such situations, don’t waste a moment and contact your doctor or call for help immediately. It is a condition that requires immediate professional medical attention.
Try to avoid factors that lead to or worsen chronic respiratory diseases. Take smoking for instance; it can worsen the symptoms if a person who has Asthma falls victim to Hypoxemia. Quit smoking as soon as you can if you have Asthma, COPD or any other respiratory or lung disease. Try to avoid passive smoking as well. Recheck your eating habits and maintain an active lifestyle. Remaining sedentary can worsen the symptoms too. Exercising will help as well and will keep you healthy.
Keep a pulse oximeter with you at all times and keep a check on your blood oxygen saturation level and heart rate. It is very helpful to quickly detect any alarming or abnormal changes.
What is an IDTF?
An Individual Diagnostic Testing Facility is an official provider of Medicare services which operates independently. It does not have any association with any hospital or physician’s office. The only involvement of a physician is in the diagnostic procedures which are required by Medicare policy. It serves various testing and diagnostic functions which include overnight oximetry testing, etc.
It can be either a fixed site or a mobile entity. The independence from association with physician’s office and hospital is subjective to:
Medicare Performance Standards for Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF)
Medicare approval is extremely crucial for an Individual Diagnostic Testing Facility to operate. Some performance standards are also set to make sure that the IDTFs operate in the manner that is up to the requirements of Medicare services. Some of the most crucial requirements include:
IDTFs are very helpful particularly for overnight oximetry testing for the purpose of facilitating with screening, diagnosis, and observation of patients who are doubted to have a disease or health problem that is caused by low levels of oxygen saturation. For this reason, overnight oximetry IDTFs operate under the approval of Medicare and provide services in accordance with the policy set by it. These conditions mostly include people having severe lung or respiratory diseases, sleep apnea, hypoxia, etc.
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There are many health conditions in which people require oxygen therapy. Most of the patients of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder need it to breathe properly, especially in the advanced stages of the disease. Basically, the lungs are not in a healthy enough condition to absorb enough oxygen on their own. It is also needed in severe cases of asthma, pneumonia, health failure, sleep apnea, lung cancer, some other kind of lung disease, cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, trauma or damage to the respiratory system, etc.
There are various kinds of oxygen therapies that are given under different health conditions. These include:
Medicare Coverage for Oxygen Therapy
The medical coverage provided by Medicare includes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibriosis, and neoplasm that is widespread. It also includes coverage for finding that are related to hypoxia, for instance, pulmonary hypertension, cognitive function impairment, congestive heart failure that is recurrent and cause by cor pulmonale, restlessness at night, morning headaches, and erythrocytosis.
How Does Medicare Cover for Oxygen Therapy
Medicare requires proper documentation and proof of the problem or disease due to which an individual is seeking Medicare coverage. It provides coverage for the rental of oxygen treatment equipment prescribed by your doctor. This equipment also includes accessories. In case you already own the equipment needed for therapy, Medicare would help in the payment of oxygen contents as well as supplies for the delivery of required oxygen. However, it is conditional to a few things. These include:
In order to verify the claims and to determine the status of the patient’s health, a number of tests are administered. Most commonly the patient performs an overnight oximetry test through an IDTF. It helps in a number of situations where oxygen therapy is needed to be given. For instance people with sleep apnea, COPD, and traumatic brain injury.
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In overnight oximetry testing, it is the hemoglobin in your body that absorbs this light. It only does so depending on the concentration of hemoglobin in every unit of blood. Therefore, the more hemoglobin present in an area, the more light will be absorbed. This quality is often described in physics as Beers Law.
The Wider Arteries
The light that has been emitted from the top of the pulse oximetry device has to pass through the arteries. Therefore, light passes through a comparatively longer path as wider arteries have greater cross-sectional length as compared to those which are narrow. Technically speaking, the concentration of hemoglobin could be the same in both, a wide and a narrow artery. However, in a wider one, this light absorbs more hemoglobin.
The Calibration Adjustment
Since blood is not a clean and clear liquid and is filled with irregular objects, such as different cells, this results in the light being scattered instead of going through in a straight line. Therefore, Beer’s Law and Lamberts Law both suggest that absorption of light varies according to the path it takes and the length it travels. As a result, concentration does not strictly apply to this device.
Since these laws cannot be applied, there can be errors in calculating accurate oxygen saturation. However, there is a solution to this: The calibration graph technique which corrects and minimizes these errors. A test pulse oximeter is first calibrated through human volunteers and is then attached to the person. After this, the volunteer is asked to breathe slowly for lower oxygen levels to prevail in the blood. Meanwhile, arterial blood samples are taken at intervals. As the oxygen saturation in the blood decreases, direct measurements made with respect to the arterial blood samples are simultaneously compared with the readings on the oximeter. It is recommended that for surefire results, you opt for overnight oximetry testing.
]]>How Does a Pulse Oximeter Work?
The technology of a pulse oximeter is based on the principles of spectrophotometry. It is defined to be the “absorption of red (absorbed by deoxygenated blood) and infrared (absorbed by oxygenated blood) light of the systolic component of the absorption waveform correlates to arterial blood oxygen
saturations.” The final reading depends on the average of the three readings of relative light absorption which occurs several times per second. The testing is done by attaching two light emitting diodes opposite to a detector that detects the oxygenation of the blood. The probes are usually attached on a finger or an ear;
places where light can easily pass through the tissue. Sometimes, the forehead is also used. However, a study suggests that the earlobes are not a preferable place to detect blood oxygenation levels.
How to Use It?
You will have to clip the pulse oximeter to a fingertip or earlobe or anyplace where the light can shine through the blood flowing in the arteries. Make sure that the reading given by a pulse oximeter is accurate. It is very essential because in some cases, the oximeter gives a wrong reading or displays nothing at all. To check the accuracy of the readings given by a pulse oximeter, compare it to the pulse you take manually. Both the observations should show correspondence. If they don’t, then this indicates an error in the readings given by the device. This can be caused by multiple reasons like:
The person should remain calm and still during the assessment. Nail polish should be taken off or the device should be attached to a body part other than the fingertips.
How to Interpret the Readings of a Pulse Oximeter?
You heart rate would also be recorded by the pulse oximeter, which is quantified in beats per minute. For an elderly, the normal count is 90 while in adults, 60-80 BPM is considered to be normal 100 BPM and above is rapid and below 60 is slow. The heartbeat of children aged between 5-12 years of age is considered to be normal in the range of 60-120, while it is 80-150 for children in the age group of 1-5 years. For infants, it is normal for them to have 120-150 beats per minute.
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